


The Things We Held So Dearly

by LloydZiegFeld



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Graphic Description, Graphic Description of Corpses, Sarcasm, Sexual Repression, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:07:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 56,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22229926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LloydZiegFeld/pseuds/LloydZiegFeld
Summary: One Year after the 4th Shinobi War, things have settled down, and the nations are starting to find peace between them. Amongst them is the Land of Wildfires, a Nation located off the coast because the Lands of Tea and Fire. In this land is Kazangakure, located in a dormant volcano. Kazangakure has sent a young man by the name of Gakitsuki Kemurido to make alliances for the previously isolationist nation.Motivated by other reasons, he accepts, determined to hunt down the man who single handedly murdered the rest of his clan just 3 months after the war, Uchiha Sasuke.He has already been to Kirigakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure, and is now on his way to Konoha, where he will pursue his answers.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Original Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 8





	1. A/N

Hello readers.... I'm not used to posting this stuff publicly, but, eh, I'll get over it. Anyways, the following is a derivative of the original work of Naruto. I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, credit to Kishimoto Masashi-San for his creative works.  
The following story will be set in an AU (of course) where some of the events of the original work happened differently, and some events have yet to happen despite the timeline. These details will be flushed out when they become relevant, but one such detail I'll point out before hand is.... Neji is alive. It always felt to me, a bit sloppy the way Masashi-San handled the Hyugas, other than Neji. I'm admittedly not a huge fan of Hinata, but I'll do her some justice, as I try to be unbiased. I'm also not going to put limits such as sexuality on my work, so yes, you can expect lemons. All the characters are angsty young adults who, because Naruto was written for Weekly Jump, missed out on the hormones driving them mad. I try to be more true to human instinct when I write. No, this is not going to be all smut, but there are going to be sections where itll be a double length chapter containing just smut, however, that smut will be limited to characters I prefer. Besides, Hinatas more of a private type of girl, and writing smut about her would dishonor her character anyways.  
The main character of this fanfiction will be an original character, however, it will explore many facets of the ninja world, and give it some of my own twist in its mythology. I hope you enjoy, and please, at least give the pilot chapter (next page) a chance. Thank you.


	2. Chapter 1: Twin Swords of The Storm

The young man trailed along the beaten path, following countless footsteps and treads from wagons and horses that had come through here, as he made his way South East through the woods.

In the distance, he could see a hill, with a lone pine at the top of it. "

Lone Pine Hill," he murmured to himself, the words barely reaching his own ears. "I'm getting close."

 _'You'd be even closer had you gone through Amegakure,'_ the beast inside of him hissed at him, through fangs, its eyes closed.

"Yeah, I get that, Ryukantsuu, but that village, to my knowledge, isn't keen on unidentified strangers," the young man retorted.

He reached into his obi, and pulled at a crimson colored sash, looking down on a metal plate bolted to it, the image of a hill surrounded in smoke etched into it. The symbol of Kazangakure. He had worn this headband three times in the last two weeks, upon meeting with Ohnoki the fence sitter in Tsuchigakure, Unruly Ay in Kumogakure, and Terumi Mei; The Meltdown Maiden in Kirigakure, but didn't wear it any other time.

As he approached Konohagakure, he'd place it on his head, and announce himself to the guards, as was custom, then his next task would be to gain an audience with the Rokudaime Hokage, the Copy Ninja; Hatake Kakashi. Unlike the other four great nations, the Land of Fire had not responded to his request, so while he had time, he was to find a way to be seen.

Not that it would be too hard. Konohagakure had used him as ANBU for delicate matters when he was younger, 10 and 11, until Hiruzen-Jiisan had been killed, and Konohagakure was the only village to have ever had diplomatic relations with the Land of Wildfires, an Island Nation between the Land of Tea, and the Land of Fire.

 _'Kemurido, do you sense it?'_ The dragon asked him.

"Yes. I sense Kurama, which means the Hero of Konoha is in the village. So our other task may be possible," Gakitsuki Kemurido looks up to the sky. "We're already one step closer to Uchiha Sasuke, the man who killed my clan."

 _'Try not to give yourself goosebumps, young Sannin,'_ Ryukantsuu teased.

"That's just a myth and you know it," Kemurido sneered. "Engineered by your summoner, my late father."

 _'Give yourself more credit. You were the youngest chunin to gain rank in the last hundred years,'_ the dragon persisted.

"Yes, Lady Nouhime being my aunt kinda made that easy," Kemurido closed his eyes. This wasn't an argument he enjoyed having.

 _'Stop being such a downer all the time,'_ Ryukantsuu said before becoming silent.

It had only been a year since the dragon had been sealed within him. At times there were interesting side effects. He mused as to whether this was how the Jinchuuriki felt.

It didn't take long for him to reach the head of the trail, autumn leaves falling and circling him as he came up on the gate. The guards halted him, as expected, and he sat there for a time discussing with them while they pretty much interrogated him.

He heard some feedback from what could be assumed to be a wireless device one of the guards wore, and he was permitted in.

He made his way around the village, starting his task with gathering information, during which time he learned of Kakashis' students, whom he hadn't realized was the trio who brought down the Progenitor of chakra three months before his clans demise.

Then he learned that they were taught by a man by the name of Umino Iruka in the academy, who would be busy most of the day with lessons.

Finally, he learned that each member of team seven was apprentice to either a Sannin, or a Hokage, Naruto to Jiaiya, Sasuke to Orochimaru, Kakashi to Namikaze Minato, and Sakura to Tsunade.

He pondered over this information as he wondered, wanting to collect at least a little more info before he made his introduction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Thank you for reading the pilot. This chapter was only to set up the plot and familiarize the readers with the MC. In the next chapter, expect ramen. That's where the story truly begins anyways.]


	3. Chapter 2: Shiroryu. <White Dragon>

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having arrived in Konoha, Kemurido explores the village, asking around for information. Having figured out enough to leave him confident, he's decided it's time to approach the Village Hero, Uzumaki Naruto.

Kemurido found himself in the alleyway just beneath where Naruto's apartment was. The green apartment set on top of other buildings almost looked like what would be considered budget housing in Amegakure, but it seemed more common in the major, landlocked villages than in the more industrialized areas. 

He would knock on Naruto's door, introduce himself, and claim he just wanted to pay respects to the heroes from the last war, then request any information he may have on Sasuke's whereabouts. He knew he wouldn't be able to use this ploy to gain an audience with Kakashi, but there were other ways he could manage that without making a scene. 

He closed his eyes for just a moment, and when he opened them, his onyx eyes became silver discs, reflecting what would be the current face of the moon, with one red slit in the center of each eye. "Tsukinome," he whispered. Before he could do anything else though, an Orange flash sprang out of the overhead apartment and down the alleyway. "Guess I'm hungry after all, -zetsu," he says, his vocal tic triggering for the first time since standing before Ohnoki, who threatened that any betrayal of their trust in the alliance he proposed would be taken out of his head.

He strode down the alleyway, and when he found himself at Ichiraku Ramen, he noticed the Orange and Navy sweatshirt its lone guest had on. He sat at the counter two seats to Naruto's left. He slapped a wad of ryo on the counter, which caused the proprietor, Teuchi, to turn. 

"White Dragon's special, please, and an order of steamed pork dumplings. Also, could I request some miso in the broth this time?" He requested of the owner. "Oh, and for the Hero of the Leaf, whatever his preference is, while he waits for whoever he's waiting for."

Teuchi nodded. The young man to his right looked at him. "Gee, that was awfully generous of you," Naruto, one year his senior said to him.

"Not everyday you get to meet a hero from the 4th shinobi war," Kemurido states. "Oh, and Teuchi, can I get a white tea and honey, please?"

"Haha, of course, though, I wonder if we've met, since you seem to know me," the owner said.

"Its been 6 years," Kemurido responds. "Back then I wore a pale dragon mask." He places his swords on the counter beside him.

"Oh, that explains your order. Been 3 years since I've made that one, and it was from someone I hadn't seen in a while then too," Teuchi laughs. "Anyways, welcome back, White Dragon."

"Thanks. So… Naruto-senpai, right? Who're you waiting for?" Kemurido asks him as Teuchi hands him his tea. 

"Oh, just my sensei," Naruto answers, throwing his hands behind his head. 

"Which one?" Kemurido asks. "Jiraiya-sama is presumed dead, Umino Iruka is in the middle of lessons, and Kakashi is a  _ very  _ busy man, though, if I had to presume, you're referring to him."

"Gee, you remind me of someone I really can't stand, dattebayo," Naruto thought aloud, looking at the man and seeing Sasuke's silhouette behind him. "Yes, I'm meeting with Kakashi-sensei."

"So, the Hokage is coming here? This must be luck," Kemurido said, before noticing a woman approaching from the east. He smiled at her, never having seen anyone as beautiful as her before. This had to be Haruno Sakura, Konoha's Cherry Blossom Princess. 

"Naruto! Are you really eating ramen for breakfast again?" Sakura shouted to him. 

"What? I like ramen, dattebayo," Naruto replied. "Besides, this nice guy just ordered some for me," Naruto shouted back, as Sakura came closer. Sakura gives the guy a look before blushing. 

"I don't recognize you," she said to Kemurido, eyes narrowing to hold her composure. "What village are you from?"

"Kazangakure," Kemurido replied, smirking. "You've got a keen eye. But, your feelings lead you astray. You don't trust me, but at the same time you're curious, which is why you blushed."

"You caught that?" Sakura asked in response, blushing harder now. ' _ Of course he caught it you open book, shannaro!'  _ Kemurido blinked, aware of what was going on in her head even if he pretended not to be. 

"Very little escapes my eyes, Haruno-tan," Kemurido teased her, Naruto cringing at the use of that particular honorific. 

Naruto shoots Kemurido a warning glance before lipping the words, 'she's my best friend's girl. Hands off.'

"Anyways, would you care to join us?" Kemurido invited her. "I've got the tab, and apparently the Hokage's going to be here soon."

"I-" Sakura stammered, closing her eyes.  _ 'Just do it! This is the hottest guy you've seen outside of the Uchihas, and if I have to take control, I'll make sure he never wants to leave!'  _ Inner Sakura yelled at her. Sakura sighed. Since the war had ended, the hormones she'd been ignoring started to harass her mixing themselves with her inner self, but her inner self wasn't necessarily wrong. 

She looked at the young man, definitely younger than her. His hair was completely white, but long, and tied into a ponytail from the ears back… or was it a long topknot? From the left side of his mouth to his ear was a scar, then another crossing it from the corner of his jaw to his temple, and a third at an angle, starting just under his left eye, crossing his nose, and kissing the far corner of his right eye before trailing off into the hair on the right side of his face. 

He was slim, but he carried himself in a confident manner, and his clothes were different than common issue uniforms. He wore a crimson cloak, with a black obi underneath it, and black denim jeans that came down to grey tabi. 

His eyes were peculiar, shining like they were, and the slits were definitely atypical. She wondered if this was a doujutsu like the Sharingan. 

Then she noticed his swords on the counter, handles placed towards the kitchen, rather than towards him… a sign of respect?

Sakura shook herself and approached, sitting down between the two, despite Naruto's subtle hinting for her to sit at his right side. 

"Interesting display," another younger man said, walking around the corner and sitting next to Naruto, his palish purple eyes facing him.

"Oh, hi Neji!" Naruto said, waving, then holds out a fist. Neji bumps his own. 

Neji and Naruto had become fast friends after the war, Neji's involvement ending after Hiashi shielded he and Hinata both from a Jyuubi clones spikes. In Hiashi's last moments, he had a heart to heart with Neji, apologizing about his father's death, and how the clan had treated the side branch all this time. He handed Neji a paper, now covered in his own blood, making Neji the heir to the clan. 

Naruto and Neji continued to talk, Naruto not wanting to be bothered with the  **NEW GUY** as he saw Kemurido. 

"So, who are you?" Sakura asked him, still not sure.

"My name is Gakitsuki Kemurido," he introduced himself for what felt like the hundredth time over the last month. 

"Oh, I've heard of you!" Sakura exclaimed. "Kazangakure's Twin Swords of the Storm. An agile swordsman who mastered Arashiton at a very young age."

"I had a great, if not brutal, mentor," he replied. "Kyuudaime Kaibunkage Nouhime happens to be my aunt, and she wanted me to be better than my father was, considering I wasn't a Youton user."

"Did that really matter that much?" Sakura asked.

"In a village placed in a volcano, yes, very much so," Kemurido sighed. "The scar across my nose is from training."

"And the other two?" Sakura asked, curious about him.

"Those,... I'd rather not talk about. Unpleasant memories," Kemurido swallowed hard on his tea. "Not hungry?" He asked her, noticing she hadn't placed her order yet.

"I actually had a big breakfast," she protested, wagging her hand before being interrupted by her stomach growling.

Then Teuchi turned around handing Kemurido his food, then Naruto his, and an extra two bowls on top of it. Kemurido slides his dumplings towards Sakura, "You need to eat, and lying isn't a particularly attractive trait for anyone," he chastised her.

"Oh… umm…. Thank you," she muttered, swallowing hard before taking a dumpling between a pair of chopsticks provided.

"Don't mention it," Kemurido replied. "Your beauty exceeds its reputation, by the way. If you're not busy after all of this, I'd like to spend the rest of the day with you if possible."

Naruto must've heard this, because a chill went down his spine. 

"O-of course," Sakura stuttered.  _ 'He thinks we're hot! Victory, shannaro!'  _ Sakura rolled her eyes at Inner Sakura. "I would be honored to host you around the village."

"Maybe you could reccomend a good hotel in the village for me?" Kemurido asked.

"Careful, Shiroryu. That's my student you're hitting on," Kakashi said, appearing with a swirl of leaves. 

"From what I hear, you're late again," Kemurido jester. "Lost on the road of life?"

"Something to that effect," Kakashi replied, nodding.

"You know she's a young woman now, right Scarecrow?" Kemurido asks him.

Kakashi's eyes light up in amusement.

"Shiroryu?" Sakura asked.

"I was ANBU for your village years back. Mutual interest between your village and mine, and all that jazz. Then Hiruzen was killed, and I was sent back home. Almost got captured by Mist ninja on my way home," Kemurido explained.

"So, Murido, why are you here this time?" Kakashi asks, sitting on his other side. 

"Lady Nouhime sent me," Kemurido answered. "Since the five nations have found peace, I'm sure many smaller nations have attempted to integrate into the unity found from the war. That's what I've been doing the last two weeks, and your village is the only one that never responded to my request for an audience. I'm meeting with Gaara-san next week, and had a week in between, so I figured I'd make a visit to see what was going on."

"Hmm, you sent a formal request?" Kakashi asked him. "We never received it."

"And we never got the raven we sent out back," Kemurido countered. 

"Interference?" Kakashi asked.

"Eliminate all that's impossible, and whatever's left…" Kemurido started.

"...no matter how improbable, must be the truth," Sakura finished, interrupting in awe, and quite involuntarily finishing the quote.

"Smart and beautiful?" Kemurido asked her.

"She was the top of her class in the academy… and do yourself a favor, don't make her mad," Kakashi warned, having a mini flashback to her punch that killed thirty six or more of the Jyuubi clones last year.

"I didn't intend to," Kemurido replied, smiling at Sakura who blushed.

"So, anyways, we'll hold a meeting tomorrow morning and go over the terms, and everything else. I'm sure it'll be more than reasonable, then we'll send you on your way to Sunagakure with an escort," Kakashi said. 

"That works for me, not that I need an escort," Kemurido replied.

"Call it good faith," Kakashi stated, standing back up. "Teuchi, put everything from this point on my tab, and tell Ayame I said 'hello'. I hope she's feeling better."

"She's better," Teuchi said. 

And with that, Kakashi left. 

Naruto never even noticed him come and go as he was too engrossed in conversation with Neji, and when he finally got full, the four of them left together heading north.

"Kakashi-sensei never showed up!" Naruto complained. 

"He was right there with us, talking to Kemurido," Sakura said, a little snippy.

"Then how did I miss it?" Naruto asked, remembering that Kurama had been nagging him earlier about something, but he'd been too preoccupied with Neji to give it any thought.

"Perhaps you were 'lost on the road of life'," Kemurido snickered.

"Hey!" Naruto screamed at him, pointing, before laughing, as the other three had already started.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Thanks for reading chapter 2. I hope you enjoyed it. Next time we get some more of the altered history in this AU, and some more blushing of Ms Best Girl, Sakura-Hime.]


	4. Chapter 3: Ai no Shinjutsu <Truth of Love>

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having met up with Naruto, Neji, and Sakura at Ichiraku Ramen, and secured his meeting with Kakashi, Kemurido now walks with them as if one of them, most interested in talking with Sakura, whom he finds absolutely fascinating, and hes very much aware that Sakura is interested in him, but she doesnt know that he knows.

Sakura, Neji, Kemurido, and Naruto walked through the streets of Konoha. Leaves flew overhead, painting the partly cloudy sky with warm colors that mixed together as they hit the ground. A wind storm would sweep all of the leaves away, but it was fine for the moment. Winter was not quite here yet. 

"So, Sakura, how are the patients in the hospital doing?" Neji asked sincerely.

"Most of them have been doing pretty good. We've had very few cases where a visitor would have to stay for longer than a day recently, so our guest roster is low," Sakura said.

"You must be a proud medical ninja, huh?" Kemurido teased her. "Bet there aren't many patients there who you don't expect to see a full recovery."

"There are two…." Sakura sighed. "Both of which are ICU cases. One, Juugo, is the progenitor of the cursed seal, and under his own request, has been placed in a cell durable enough to hold him."

"The other?" Kemurido asked. Naruto and Neji both swallowed hard, not thrilled about the answer they knew was coming.

"Uchiha Obito," Sakura exhaled. "He's under constant watch, and has been prone to narcolepsy for over a year. He barely survived the war after having his eyes ripped out by Madara. I was the one who healed his wounds on the battlefield. Kakashi wouldn't have wanted to lose him again."

"Sounds like he's another victim," Kemurido whispered, then spoke aloud. "So Madara manipulated him, and threw him away like some kind of…. Puppet?"

"Yes," Sakura sighed, which the other two boys echoed. "Glad you could understand that."

"I watched everyone around me suddenly trance out when the moon went red last year. I was on a mission to the far reaches, and was fortunate that I had my Tsukinome active."

"What exactly is the Tsukinome?" Sakura asked, looking at his eyes.

"I can read people's hearts and see through deception while it's active," Kemurido said. "It's one of the reasons I became drafted for ANBU here. It does have its other perks." Kemurido laughed.

"Like what?" She asked him, to which he leaned into her ear with a smirk.

"Like knowing when someone likes you.. or even if it's that and something a little sweeter too," he teased her, whispering. 

_ 'Wait, he knows!?'  _ Inner Sakura shrieks. ' _ My life is ruined! Now I'm going to die of embarrassment!' _

"Your inner self is adorable, by the way. I especially liked the way she implied she could make me not want to leave, but she needs to calm down, I'm not going to embarrass you… unless you want me too," he teased her. 

"C-could you stop that!" Sakura snapped at him, afraid of her blonde companion overhearing anything. 

"So, Mr. War Hero," Kemurido called over to Naruto, making Sakura blush harder. "Can't imagine a guy as famous as you doesn't have a girlfriend or something. Who's the lucky lady?"

"You're standing next to her," Naruto grinned, clearly joking. Neji backed away from him, knowing exactly what came next, as Sakura's embarrassment was replaced by rage, chakra pouring off of her.

"Naruto, you jackass!" She yelled, pulling her hand back, but before she swings, she stops herself, noticing something else. At some point, Kemurido had moved in front of Naruto, and had one of his swords in hand, the tip pressed into Naruto's neck. 

"So you think its funny to lie about your teammates for your own benefit. You think you have a right to brag about her supposedly being yours when you had much different words for me on your lips at the restaurant? You can't lie to me, Naruto, and I can't tolerate those who lie about their comrades to make themselves look good. Did you stop to think about how she might feel about you saying that?" Kemurido snapped at him. 

"Kemurido, that's really not neces-" Sakura started before being cut off by Naruto, who held up a finger. 

_ 'He's right, Naruto,'  _ Kurama told the blond.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan," Naruto apologized. "It will not happen again."

Kemurido lowered his blade and sheathed it. "I'm sorry," Kemurido apologized. "I lost my shit, and I shouldn't have."

"Actually, I understand," Naruto smiled weakly. "I think I would have done the same, -dattebayo."

"I wouldn't have put myself in your situation though," Kemurido countered.

"But seriously, though, she belongs to Sasuke," Naruto said. 

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled, getting angry again, Kemurido moved between the two, hugging Sakura at the waste to diffuse what came next. She took a breath, "I'm nobody's property. No one owns me.." she said weakly. 

"So, you don't love Sasuke?" Naruto asked, some part of him somewhat hopeful.

"I thought I did, but…" Sakura stammers, her right arm involuntarily wrapping around Kemurido. 

"Naruto, I think it's best that we just leave it alone, and go away. You always have a habit of egging her on, and you don't want all those bumps on your head this time, right?" Neji asked him, more capable of reading the room than Naruto was.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Naruto said to Neji. "See you around, Sakura-chan -dattebayo."

The two of them took off, leaving Sakura and Kemurido alone. 

"I'm really sorry you had to see that part of me," Kemurido apologized. "I'm not usually like that."

"It's fine," Sakura said, blushing a pinkish shade that matched her hair. "I actually find it quite endearing. You must value your comrades and their feelings."

"I did," he paused in his steps. "Many of them are gone now. Killed by an invader in my village last year, three months after the war was over."

"Who was the invader?" Sakura asked.

"I don't know," Kemurido lied to her. What was he supposed to do, say 'Sasuke, your other teammate whom you still have a huge crush on'? "Let's not talk about it."

"Is that where the other two scars are from?" She asked.

"I said that I didn't want to talk about it," Kemurido said firmly, but softly. "...but yes."

"Sorry to hear about it," Sakura consoled him. "Ino and I are actually working on a mental health facility for those that have suffered from traumatic events such as those."

"Yamanaka Ino, the Ninja Wolfsbane Kunoichi?" Kemurido asked her. "She's regarded as being the second most beautiful woman in Konohagakure, right behind you."

Sakura blushes a bit, but smiles weakly. She knew that Ino had a reputation for her beauty too, and it upset her that he brought that up. 

_ 'He said we were more beautiful than the pig, -shannaro!' _

"Look, Sakura, it's just what the reputation is," Kemurido explained. "You're also renowned for your titanic strength. How many people can say that this crater or that one was created by them? Or that they tore through an army of puppets renowned for bringing whole nations to their heels? Or snapping off the horn of an Evil Goddess?"

"I wouldn't have called her a Goddess," Sakura wavered. Kemurido turned to her, and snagged hold of her jaw, his thumb pressed gently against her chin, as his fingers gripped. 

"She was a Goddess. Give yourself more credit, Cherry Blossom Princess," Kemurido said to her before kissing her forehead, which only made her blush harder.

_ 'Did he just-?' _ Inner Sakura asked before stopping. 

"Even if I think she's any bit attractive, you're completely adorable, and being an empath, I could feel both sides of you with or without my Tsukinome," Kemurido says. "And her attitude has a bit of a reputation around the village, making her not really my type as anything other than a plaything."

"A… plaything?" Sakura asked through clenched teeth, her fist curled up with white knuckles, and her eyes closed.  _ 'Oh, now he's gonna get it!'  _ Kemurido realized he had made a mistake, and turned around quickly, just in time to catch the punch on the right side of his chest and be sent flying ten feet. He curled in on himself, his jaw hanging open and eyes black, for a minute or so before slowly standing up holding his ribs. 

"Four broken ribs, snapped clavicle, cracked scapula, split hanging ribs, ruptured lung, punctured liver, but hey, at least I definitely don't have any kidney stones," he said aloud as Sakura came running, worried that she had overdone it. 

"You could tell all of that from feeling alone?" Sakura asked him, astonished.

"Lady Nouh was adamant I learn to identify my internal injuries at a moment's notice," he responded, standing up straight, as Sakura caught sight of what looked like grey scales on his hand and across his chest under his obi. "It's apparently important for a swordsman who will common use swords between 2.2 and 4.5 kilograms to be able to know this kinda thing so he's aware of his limitations."

"You healed that pretty quickly though," Sakura said, pressing an interrogation. 

"Yeah, well, had you hit anyone else from my village like that, you'd have single handedly destroyed the balance of peace in the five great nations," Kemurido teased her, rubbing his chest under his obi. "I heal quickly, and reduce damage because I'm something similar to what you mainlanders called a Jinchuuriki."

"So, how much do  _ your  _ swords weigh?" Sakura asked, changing the subject.

"These two weigh five kilograms a piece, and the one in my summoning scroll weighs ten considering the thread and everything," Kemurido answered.

"Thread?" Sakura asked, confused before a look of recognition hit her face. "You don't mean…?"

"Yes, the Nuibari," Kemurido answered. "A gift from Terumi Mei-chan."

"She gave you one of the seven swords?" Sakura looked at him, not seeing his eyes.

"Yes," Kemurido answered, turning his head towards her, his eyes closed. "She said it was a gift of good faith." He paused, then opened his eyes, "I requested the Ryu no Kiba, but she asked what the point would be other than reducing the chakra requirements needed to do the exact same thing," he finished looking Sakura in the eye, distracted by her question, and that's when Sakura noticed that his left eye, despite fading out of it, looked familiar, and he closed his eye trying to hide it, but not before she managed to tackle him to the ground and force his eyelid open. 

"You have a Sharingan!" She yelled at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Once again, thanks for reading. I hope you're enjoying this so far. Before anyone starts asking me, no, I don't hate Sasuke. One of my faves actually, but his decision to leave the village on a quest for atonement, to me, contradicts his willingness to have a relationship, because from experience, when you feel like you need to atone, you want to punish yourself in any way possible, and I do not believe that Sakura deserved to be kept waiting for a man who would only show up on occasion. Anyways, next time, there are dragons.]


	5. Chapter 4: Ketto no Himitsu <Bloodline Secrets>

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kemurido has a Sharingan! How?! Sakura confronts him, but will his story be a bit too much for her? How will she react? And has she forgotten something?

"How the hell do you have a Sharingan!?" She asked him angrily, bystanders clearing out. He bit his lip, and expended a large amount of chakra, before wiping his thumb against his lip quickly, to which Sakura smacked it away, but it didn't matter, because all he had to do was press it to the ground.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu," he murmured. A cloud appeared behind him, and what appeared out of it was a dragon roughly the size of a house, intentionally standing just right to avoid doing any damage or block traffic. Sakura couldn't help but look up at the majestic creature that towered over her, looking it dead in the eyes, one of which was the Tsukinome, the other, a Sharingan.

"Does _this_ explain enough for you?" Kemurido asked, as Sakura's grip loosened. "Now could you please get off me, and remove your hand from my neck before things get _really_ uncomfortable for me?" Sakura shook her head, pulling him to his feet by his cloak. 

"What's going on?" Sakura asked, unable to look away from the dragon. 

Kemurido brushed himself off, readjusting his clothing, and trying to make his pants a little looser in a certain spot, to no avail.

"Ryukotsusei, would you please?" Kemurido asked the dragon.

"The Dragon race has been allies with the Gakitsuki clan since they broke apart from the Ootsutsuki clan in the time before Kaguya ate the chakra fruit," Ryukotsusei explained.

"Wait…. What!?" Sakura interrupted. 

"Yeah, my ancestor, Gakitsuki Yoh, didnt really like his older siblings, Kaguya or Ryujin, so… he broke apart, and created a mutual understanding with the Dragon race, that we shared a common enemy," Kemurido explained.

"The Dragon race had always had access to Chakra as a flying race that could easily reach the oldest, ripest fruits from the very top of the tree. We were also completely immune to the Infinite Tsukuyomi, mostly thanks to our Tsukinome, which we shared with their clan, with one Caveat," Ryukotsusei explained.

"My ancestor, Ryusenketsu," Ryukotsusei explained, "He stipulated that each offspring of the clan be assigned a newborn dragon as a life companion, so as the two would grow, they'd mature together. Ryusenketsu had a firm belief that a dragon without a reason to mature would be little more than a wild animal, and become a scourge on the world around it. To avoid this, he proposed a mutually beneficial symbiosis between the clans, that would give us a bond, a reason to mature, and so that's gone on for a full millenium, since the war between Ootsutsuki and Kusanagi that Gakitsuki abstained from."

"Ryusenketsu had three different Doujutsu in his three eyes, the Byakugan, the Sharingan, and the Tsukinome that he'd been born with. My father, who was born with two Sharingan, is sealed inside Kemurido, and that's why he has a Sharingan," Ryukotsusei explained.

"That's…" Sakura stammered, flustered. "So, you're…?"

"Not an Uchiha," Kemurido stated. "Not that you thought I was, but I'm also not an eye thief, which you had been worried about, primarily because being an eye thief at my age would imply either sociopathy or a severely depraved upbringing that left me scarred and willing to do anything, hurt anyone, and use anyone for twisted head games and a pursuit of power."

"How did you-?" Sakura started to ask before her voice cracked, probably because Inner Sakura interrupted her, thinking _'Damn, it's so fucking hot the way he speaks! We've got to have him! I can't let him slip through my fingers! Come on, act on it! You know you want it!'_

"Because, if I met someone for the first time today that had a _rare_ kekkei genkai, and didn't know the full story, it's exactly what I would've deduced," Kemurido answered. "Ryukotsusei, dismissed." 

The dragon nodded before taking off to the sky and flying away. That would be in the morning papers, and both of them knew it "You have no reason to trust me besides the fact that Kakashi does, and you should know that he knows less of the story than you do. I won't ask you to trust me, but if you choose to, you have a right to know, and I wanted to let you know either way, in case our interests in one another were to find themselves aligned."

"Now that that's taken care of, I never asked you, but did you have any plans for the day that you're forgetting about?"

"Fuck," she gasped under her breath. "What time is it?" 

"Judging from the position of the sun and the date, I'd say about eleven A.M." Kemurido answered.

"To my house, now!" Sakura demanded, grabbing him by the arm.

"Whoah, hold your pants on, at least for a little while. What's going on?" Kemurido asked her, slightly panicked.

"I have company coming to my house in just two hours, and I'm supposed to have food ready!" Sakura answered panicked. "Ino's going to kill me."

Kemurido smirked, "You could just point me in the direction of a hotel so I have boarding figured out while you go _ENTERTAIN_ your best friend."

"Look here, Rido!" She snapped, turning back to him. "My parents are out of the village visiting the Land of Rivers and family they have there. I have a spare room, and there's no one to ask questions. You can stay at my place for the night, but so help me, if you make me late, I will make you pay for it!" 

"You could just tell me where to go, and you wouldn't be late at all," Kemurido countered.

"You're coming with me, and that's final!" Sakura snapped. _'You know you're only making him come with you so you can fuck him! Ha! But can you wait long enough for Ino to come and go!?'_ Inner Sakura teased.

"Okay, boss lady, but any reason you want me to come with you?" He asked. 

She turned around and glared at him. "Ino likes to pretend like she's better than me. She constantly teases me about being hung up on a guy who's never around, meanwhile Sasuke is out there pretending that staying distant from everyone is the best way to atone for what he's done, and constantly leads me on with false promises. You are coming with me to show her that I'm _NOT_ hung up on Sasuke!"

"Better be a pretty damn convincing act," Kemurido suggested voluntarily letting her drag him around. "Because it seems desperate all in all, unless of course, it's not an act, and you just want to make sure that she's there to witness all the evidence necessary." She looks him in the eyes, and neither one is currently silver mooned in the slightest, both the regular onyx he had before she met him. She hadn't seen his eyes like this, so it stunned her.

"Just follow me," Sakura said before sighing loudly. 

"Oh, sure, tell me, how long have your hormones been raging, exactly?" Kemurido asked, not really that scared to risk angering her. 

She glared back at him, then placed a hand on his groin, squeezing gently.

"I could crush it," she warned.

"You won't," Kemurido stated.

"You sure?" she asked.

"You're a cat in heat at the moment, so, yeah, pretty damn sure," Kemurido responded.

"And, how do you know that I'm not going to surprise you?" She asked.

"Because, your Inner Self hasn't been able to shut up with the innuendo, and the only fathomable reason you could possibly have for dragging me along, is because you want to relieve that _ITCH_ you've been feeling for however long. The _ITCH_ that I almost suspect your Inner Self is born from," Kemurido countered.

"Inner me has existed since I was nine," Sakura countered back.

"Then it's repressed feelings that gave birth to your Inner Self, and now she exists for the sake of your _HORMONES_ that you've been ignoring," Kemurido suggested. "We can go back and forth, but we _BOTH_ know you want something from me, and grabbing what you want in a public street would only reflect poorly on you."

Sakura looked down at her hand, then around the road, before taking her hand off of it. "Was someone around to see?" She asked embarrassed.

"Just the birds," Kemurido replied pointing up.

"Then shut up, and follow me," Sakura demanded. "We have an hour and forty five minutes now."

"As you wish, Sakura-hime," Kemurido teased, slapping her ass before following her closely. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Another chapter plugged in, my readers. I hope everyone reading is thoroughly enjoying it. Next time there will be lemons, and LOTS of content. Be ready for a textbook chapter. Anyways, I'm happy to serve.]


	6. Chapter 5: Saku no Sakura (Sakura In Bloom)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After being with him just under two hours thus far, Sakura has dragged him along to her home, her parents out of the village, to help her prepare for a guest, however, it would be all too easy for her to get sidetracked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: This chapter contains Lemons. This chapter is also skippable for those who would prefer not to see this content, however, the next chapter will also contain Lemons, and be only partially skippable, as Ino will arrive during that chapter.)

Sakura was panting by the time she got in the front door. She had never run so fast in her life. She mused at where, perhaps, might this kind of energy been when she was fighting in the Shinobi Alliance, but she suspected she knew the answer, and it wasn't a very pretty one. She had been motivated by survival, which, as good a motivator as it was, only left the promise of possibilities.  _ This  _ however, had a very different promise, and her inner self had taken a grip on her psyche, and pushed her harder to chase it. 

"That was a nice jog," Kemurido teased, not even haven broken a sweat. 

_ 'Oh, yes!'  _ She and her Inner Self thought in unison. ' _ This is going to be good!' _

Kemurido smiled at her. "You looked drained," he said.

"Haven't run that fast…. Ever," she confessed.

"Worried about disappointing Ino?" Kemurido asked, as he and Sakura both slipped off their footwear. "Or is there something else on your mind?"

"Aren't you ever going to stop teasing me?" 

"Probably not," was the chilled answer he gave, as he moved closer to her, placing a hand on either of her hips, gently digging his fingertips into the soft flesh of her handles as his thumbs traced s shapes on the bony wings. She trembled at his touch.

"You've never done this before, have you?" He asked gently, pulling himself up against her, his breath warm on her neck and earlobe. _ 'She smells of cherry blossoms, strawberry, and vanilla,' he had noted. _ As he pressed his lips to the corner of her jaw, she gave an answer.

"No, I haven't, but…." Sakura trailed off, as his fingers started to crawl up her sides, as if each were a spider. "When I was training under Tsunade, I had been placed in a Genjutsu to test my chakra control. It was convincing enough that when what I'd be forced to endure had started, I was so panicked, and I couldn't focus until…." As his right hand crawled onto her midriff she sighed. 

"What happened?" He asked. 

"In the Genjutsu, she and Shizune just sat there as a man I would later find out was Uchiha Itachi, entered the room, and started…." She scowled. "It felt so… visceral, and I couldn't…"

"In Kazangakure, ita standard practice for all of our ninja to undergo that same experience at least once before being eligible for promotion to Jonin," Kemurido said. "Men and women have both found themselves so damaged afterwards that they chose a new career, but as a result, our Jonin are powerful, and unerring. It's a real threat on the battlefield, and we all know it, but many villages don't prepare their youth for the possibility before granting them a promotion to Jonin, which makes it easy for village secrets to swap hands."

"Tsunade said the same thing, though never referenced Kazanga-Oh!" As Sakura had been speaking, Kemurido had managed to snake his right hand down between her legs, pressing his fingers against her, two fingertips acting in unison to circle around as they pressed at her. 

"Oh, looks like somebody has a weak spot!" Kemurido teases, as he kisses down her neck over her shoulder.  _ 'Damn. For a woman so strong, her skin is so soft,'  _ he thought to himself.

"Kemurido, Ino is going to be here soon enough," Sakura barely managed to force out without a gasp. "We…"

"Sakura, your body is aching for it," Kemurido insisted, pulling his right hand away from her entrance and replacing it with his left. He brings it up to her mouth, the sound of wet droplets hitting the floor at the rhythm of a metronome could be heard before he pressed his middle and ring finger against her tongue, which she instinctively sucks on, tasting herself on his fingers. "Do you see how wet you are, and I've barely gotten started, Sakura?"

"Mmh," she moaned, before her eyes widened in realization. 

Her body started to heat up in response. Why was he able to rouse this kind of response from her so naturally? Her hips started to move involuntarily against him, and her hands started to fumble around, wanting to grab onto something. She started licking the tips of his fingers, tracing the outlines of the nails, and every crease, callous, and scar on the two of them. 

She nearly bit down on them when his mouth reached her collarbone, which he had managed to free from the collar of her vest with just a nudge from his chin, before licking it, then pressing his lips and his  _ teeth  _ against it, gently nibbling at her skin. 

In her fumbling and shaking she ended up finding herself literally pressed up against his groin, which was stiff, but seemed to harden at her touch. He pulled his fingers out of her mouth and traced a line, with his index finger, down her chin, pulling at her bottom lip as he started, then down her neck, following her carotid artery to the dip in her collar bone, then unzipped her vest halfway, his hands moving slowly, before letting the zipper go and reaching underneath it, finding her braless. 

"You don't wear a bra?" Kemurido asked her. 

"Why? My breasts aren't that big," she replied, blushing, with her eyes glazed over, before wincing the moment his right hand found her left areola, which he pinched.

"You could still wear one," he said pointedly. "But maybe you'd feel more comfortable only wearing one for someone you like? Besides, modest breasts are charming. I don't like those over-inflated punching bags some ladies have." 

"Mmh-hmm," was the only response he got from her other than a strangled giggle as his index finger pressed in on the nipple, flicking it in between circles or s shapes he drew against it. Her hips started shaking more violently as his left middle finger and ring pressed into her folds through her spandex shorts, his thumb imitating the same motions his other hands' index finger was doing, as it brushed her clit. His left pinky pulled at her labia through the shorts, and his index finger was heading somewhere different, the tip nestled into the crack just a little further back. 

"Ri-Rido, what… is this.. feeling?" She asked him, her face flushed red as she involuntarily grabs his groin, which only makes her even more flustered when his phallus twitches in response. A trembling starts inside of her.

"You… you don't know?" Kemurido asks, only pausing for a moment, realizing the spot he was at was already a purplish color. "You're a virgin, huh?" His left fingers arced inside her. "Forgot about that… but am I to assume you haven't even played with yourself?"

"Ye-yes," she confessed. "Wha-what's…. Ugh… happening?"

He pulls his fingers out and pinches her clit between his thumb, index, and ring fingers.

"Ahh!" She screams, her right hand coming up to her mouth in an attempt to muffle it as every muscle in her body tightens up in sequence before a wet splash on the ground could be heard, probably even on the other side of her front door. 

"So, how was your  _ first _ orgasm?" He asked her, bringing his mouth up to her left ear, and licking the back of it. 

"I… I," she stuttered, barely able to make words. 

"Cat got your tongue?" He asked, moving his left hand a little further between her legs, his thumb still pressed against her still sensitive clitoris, and two fingers pressed against the fabric along her asscrack, searching for what he would find in no time, which he prodded with just the tip of his middle finger, at which she tensed again.

"Are you done teasing me!?" She snapped, unable to take it, pulling herself away from him, then grabbing his neck and pinning him to the wall.

"Whoah, there. What's this about?" He asks her.

"You're just teasing me!" Sakura hissed. "I can tell that you want me. I could feel your… thing… against my skin."

"Cock, dick, phallus, penis, third leg, bana-" Kemurido recites.

"I know the words, Rido! That's besides the point!" Sakura snapped.

"You keep calling me that," he comments, smirking in her face. "Why?"

"It's easier to say," she stops then pauses. ' _ Why would that matter unless she plans on talking to him a lot…?'  _ She asked herself, then speaks up again. "And…. I think I like you…. A lot… so I guess I plan on saying it a lot, and didn't even realize it until now."

"Aww, I like you too," he smiles. "But I didn't pin  _ you  _ to the wall."

"No, but you did tease me a whole hell of a lot, and now my shorts are soaked," Sakura argued.

"Small price to pay," Kemurido snickered. "Most men have difficulties getting a girl to cum that hard. I did it in just over three minutes. That's a service." 

Sakura squeezed his neck a little, "You think you're a gift, don't you?"

"No," Kemurido answered honestly, his eyes shaded, not in pain, but in shame. "I'm no gift."

Sakura slaps him lightly then with his mouth agape from the shock, presses her lips against his, her left hand removing his swords from his belt, placing them against the wall to their left. Her tongue explores his mouth until his bats it away, the two battling for dominance in a dance of saliva and Sakura's own wetness. Sakura takes her left hand, and loosens Kemurido's belt before sliding her hand into his pants, pulling out the stiff rod that had been hiding. She gently handles it, only briefly opening her right eye to glance down once, as she runs her hand up and down its length, twisting her wrist as she does, never letting her pinky stray too far away from the underside of his member.

She bit her lip as he pushes against her head, not too worried about the hand on his throat, then brought his hands up to her waist, holding them there. 

His forehead pressed against hers, and they both pull out of the kiss, opening their eyes. Sakura crouched down, reaching for a moment into her tools pouch, grabbing a kunai. She only makes one quick movement with it before hucking it backwards into the wall, cutting a slit in her shorts, and pushing her mouth onto his pipe. 

She was struggling to fit more than half in, but she forces it, and keeps pushing her head, little by little, until she has the whole thing down to the end, in her mouth. It twitched a little as she rocked her head on it a little before pulling her mouth off of it, coughing like a seasoned smoker. 

"Impressive," Kemurido said. 

"Not my fault you have a large cock," Sakura sneers at him. 

"Or you just have a small throat," he responds. "I've been ridiculed for being small before, granted, it was in comparison to guys who have titanic whales downstairs…"

"So you deny that you're big?" She asked.

"I'm average. That's what five and a half is," he spoke.

"Well, if this is average, I never want anything but average," she said, eyeing him as she stood up. She turned around, taking his tip between her index and middle fingers before she guided him to her slit, slowly sheathing his sword until she feels resistance. 

"This will hurt a little bit," he told her leaning against her, pressing his mouth to her ear. "Do I have permission to break through?" 

"Fuck me," she gasped as an answer, still trying to push through it gently, but unable to get the hymen to break doing it that way. 

"Are you sure?" Kemurido asked, placing his hands on her modest breasts, weaving either index finger and middle finger around her nipples, and pinching the areolas. 

"Just fucking do it!" Sakura snapped. "I can't take this anymore. My hormones have been driving me crazy since the war, and I've been shoving them down waiting for a deadbeat who never comes home. So I'm begging you to fuck the shit out of me!" 

"On one condition," he argued.

"What? Just do it," she whined. 

"Okay, I'll break your hymen, but then we're going to get you up to speed elsewhere," he said, before biting her earlobe.

"Wait, what?!" She asked as he reared back just to thrust forward, through her hymen, which tore as his thrust pushed him all the way through, hardening a bit more as he did. She gasped in total shock, barely registering that he had pulled out, and gently started pushing his way into her anus. "Oo...fwah?" She asked, surprised that he wasn't hurting her despite inserting something into a place that, until now, she had believed was an exit only, but the sensation was unlike she imagined, and to feel more of it she clenched her cheeks. 

"A natural reaction, or was that intentional?" He asked, starting to move. 

"Intentional," she gasped, her jaw never closing. 

"Then, how about another dose?" He said, smirking at her, making a single hand signal. "Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu," he whispered into her ear, and another him appeared right in front of her, leaning in for a kiss. 

_ 'Oh, dear, I'm in trouble!'  _ She thought to herself. ' _ But, I can't really deny that the thought is just… delicious.' _ Sakura licked her lips. ' _ Wait, what am I saying? Why isn't Inner Sakura saying this? Speaking of which, she's been quiet, almost as if….?' _ She looked back at the real Kemurido.

"Something on your mind?" The clone asked, leaning in for a kiss.

"Inner me is quiet," she whispered, guiding her lips to where the clones were heading. 

"Oh, so the two of you finally became one?" Kemurido teased her, pinching her nipples, digging his cock all the way into her asshole before giving a pause. "As I said, she was the embodiment of repressed desires. You could say she was your shadow."

"So, you both are going to fuck me?" She asked Kemurido. 

"That's the plan," the clone said, pulling his cock out, a ball of water appearing around it for a moment, before he runs the tip along her entrance. She shivers at every sensation going on, and it only gets worse when Kemurido lowers his hands to her entrance, maneuvering around her flak skirt, and spread her labia, both index fingers pushing inwards on her clit. The clone guided the tip in, then moved his hands up to Sakura's breasts, his thumbs on either nipple as he pinched the areolas, using his thumbs to simultaneously pinch and caress her nipples in a variety of different patterns.

Sakura gasped as the clone reaches her depths, and Kemurido pulled out most of the way, then the two started alternating thrusts in and out of her, speeding up with each thrust until Sakura couldn't help but feel like the rocking and grinding is going to give her whiplash. She gritted her teeth, her mind starting to haze over, losing herself in the pleasure. 

The clone came first, spilling enough inside of her vaginal canal that a white puddle is almost instantly formed between her feet. The clone kept going until her body started to tense up again. 

"Rido!" Is the only word she could manage as her muscles fired off one by one, spasming from head to toe, clenching down on Kemurido making him cum inside her ass as she once again squirted.

The clone dissipated, and Sakura gripped Kemurido, digging her nails into his arms, wanting to savor this feeling.

"So, how are you feeling?" Kemurido asked, simply crossing his hands where he can with her grip.

"Sweaty," she answered, panting.

"Satisfied?" He asked her. 

"I don't know," she answered. "Part of me just wants you inside of me."

"But, your friend..?" Kemurido retorted.

"Yeah, wouldn't she be surprised if she had seen this," Sakura laughed, rocking her hips around, looking down. The white mess the clone had made was gone. "What's the deal with that?" She asked. 

"I only used enough chakra to produce the clone, not enough to make the cum permanent should he spill inside," he said. "If anyone's going to leave cum inside of you, I'd prefer it to be the real me."

"Are you saying you want more?" Sakura asked, her eyes lighting up.

"Sakura, we need to get ready for Ino," Kemurido said, trying to pull his hands away.

"One more round, on the couch?" She asked, kinda begging.

"And if she comes while we're doing it?"

"Then let her fucking see it. I bet that pig is still a virgin!" She said, ironically ignoring the fact that she had been a virgin too until an hour ago.

"I'm not going to screw you in front of her. You'd have to tie me down to get what you want," he said, still struggling to pull away, but she was the one to pull away first, grabbing him by the balls as she did.

"That can totally be arranged," she smiled sweetly, looking at him. "Right, honey?"

"Fuck," Kemurido said, as Sakura squeezed, sending pain through his body.  _ 'You did it to yourself,' _ Ryukantsuu lectures him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [There we go guys, my first ever Lemons chapter. Hope everyone enjoyed it. Next time, there's more lemons, and Ino's going to show up.   
> Also, so everyone knows, Sakura and Ino, in universe, do have a reputation for their beauty. Tsunade does too. If I haven't mentioned a character as being reputed for their beauty, its because in verse, they aren't well known for it. This includes Hinata, Hanabi, Tenten, and Temari. Not trying to push down these characters, I'm trying to write this as an honest touch to the verse. I'm sorry if you think this is being unfair. Either way, the core ship here is SakuraxRido.]


	7. Chapter 6: Hana no Arashi (Flower Storm)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura enjoyed herself a little too much by her family's front door, and has found herself possessed by her lust that she's been repressing. Now Kemurido sits and waits for her to finish whatever it is shes doing as hes tied up on her living room couch, completely vulnerable, and frustrated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N be prepared for a long read and all that Lemony content from the previous chapter and more. You're going to enjoy this, even more so if you're a bit kinky.]

_ 'How did I get myself into this situation? _ ' Kemurido asked himself.

' _ Simple, you gave her the idea,'  _ Ryukantsuu said to him.

_ 'You know, I wasn't necessarily asking you,'  _ Kemurido responded to him.

_ 'Just trying to help,'  _ the dragon cut back.

_ 'Well don't,'  _ Kemurido said back to him.

_ 'You're not really opposed, are you?' _ Ryukantsuu asked him, curious.

_ 'Not really. I just wish she'd hurry whatever it is that she's doing so I can have my hands back,'  _ Kemurido thought snarkily. His wrists and legs were both tied by rope, pulling them in different directions as he sat on Sakura's family couch in their living room, stripped down to his blood red boxers, all of his scars laid bare, and his marble white hair curtained over his chest and back. He felt humiliated, but he didn't stop her when he could.

When she finally did come downstairs, she wasn't in her clothes from before. His jaw dropped when he saw her.

"Holy shit!" were the only words that would leave his mouth. 

She wore the kind of sleeveless hoodie that completely showed her midriff, with two straps coming off the bottom of it. The straps and trim were white, but the rest of it was the brilliant red she usually wore, the Haruno circle on the back of it. The straps were connected to a garter belt, which laced over a pair of thong panties before connecting to mesh net stockings all of the same colors. 

Sakura smiled at Kemurido, spinning herself around for him to see before approaching him, and placing a hand on his chest. "What do you think, Shiroryu?" Sakura asked, tracing her fingertips down his sternum, then along a very nasty looking scar that seemed to stretch all the way around his body to his spine, but she didn't trace that far, instead stopping along the ribs under his right shoulder. This was where she had punched him earlier. 

She closed her eyes and tiptoed her fingers up his ribs to his shoulder, which she rested her hand on.

"I think it looks…." He swallowed hard, remembering all the times he'd been asked that question in the past and it had been a trap. "It looks sexy on you. I… I like it a lot, but i think i preferred your day clothes."

"Oh, I'm disappointed," Sakura teased, massaging his shoulder a little bit as she leaned her face into his. "I thought you'd love seeing me in this. Maybe I can change your mind, right honey?" She asked, a sly look on her face as she pressed her lips to his, which he answered by parting his.

Their tongues came out to play, in a dance of dominance, which Kemurido knew he'd win, so he didn't really take it seriously, and instead let her take the lead, having his tongue circle around the side of hers every time she attempted to push him. As she pulled away, she dug her nails into his shoulder and scratched him at the same time she bit his lip. 

She smirked down on him.

"You seem really confident compared to twenty minutes ago," he pointed out.

"Oh, I'm as nervous as a hedgehog trying not to burst a balloon," she smirked. "I'm just very aware of what I want now." She leaned back in, but instead of kissing his lips, she started at his neck, right under his ear.

She let her hands wander, the left choosing to find his right shoulder, massaging where the red streaks from her digging in with her nails were. The right gently glided down his toned body, allowing just the palm to skirt over it, as it slowly made it's way to his waist, where her fingers slid under the band to her prize underneath, intentionally keeping it inside, but not leaving it alone either as she held it with separated fingers.

Instead of stroking it, she rolled the tension in her fingers from index to pinky, then back again, her grip creating a slightly dulled effect, but greatly reducing the friction involved as his third leg started to stand, pressing against the mesh of his boxers.

She kissed her way down his neck to his collarbone, doing as he had done, and sucking on it, scraping her teeth against the skin as she did, and licking what she could between her teeth. 

"If you keep teasing me, Ino's going to be here before you've even gotten on top of me," he breathed in her ear.

"What makes you think that isn't part of the plan?" Sakura asked. "The door's unlocked, and knowing her, she'll knock on the door, then enter, before calling out to me. When she hears me in here, she'll come right to us, and she'll come around the corner right before I slide down onto you."

Kemurido's shaft became fully erect and extended by another half inch hearing her plans. "Who would've thought you'd be  _ this _ kinky?" He teased, his left eye starting to redden, as the lust in him started to pull at some of the dragon's chakra. 

"Oh, it's totally your fault," she grinned, starting to kiss down his chest, making a peck at each scar she passed. Her left hand shifted to his right hip, as she slid her body down his, the hoodie just unzipped enough to see everything underneath from the angle he was sitting at.

As Sakura lowered her head to his waist band, she bit down on it, pulling it away from his midriff as she pulled her hand out empty. When her hands were free, she let it loose, snapping against his waist with a loud whack! Kemurido grunted, but didn't budge, and Sakura simply lowered her mouth to the hole in the front, which she pressed her mouth to, parting her lips as she slid her tongue through, moving her mouth around in search of his member, moving clumsily since she had never done this before.

"Having trouble?" Kemurido teased, looking down at her with one red and one onyx eye, a single tomoe in the red one… for now.

"Shut up," Sakura said, tears forming in her eyes as she blushes. "I'm trying to do something."

"You're trying to be sexy, and do something you've never even practiced before," Kemurido said, as Sakura resumed her self-appointed task. "You may as well qu-i-i-it….!" Kemurido tried lecturing her before her tongue managed to find the underside of the tip of his cock.

She slurped at it until the whole head was in her mouth, and guided it through the hole, before pushing her head further down the full length, starting to gag on it halfway. As she pulled her head off of it she pressed her tongue firmly against it, curling it when it reached the tip, making it twitch. She only let it slide out of her mouth with a little suction still held to it, a pop resounding as she did. 

In the distance, a knock could be heard, then the gentle creak of a door opening and closing.

"Hey, forehead! Where are you?" A loud, and higher pitched voice called from the entryway, followed by the thud of her sandals hitting the ground.

"I'm in he~re," Sakura said in a singsong voice, climbing on top of Kemurido as she answered, taking his tip in her hand, pressing it to her entrance, but not letting it slide in quite yet as she pressed her lips to his. 

Ino's foot steps could be heard walking heavily towards the living room. 

"I thought you said there would be food, but all I smell is- whoah!" Ino said, coming around the corner. 

Sakura winked at Kemurido as, in the same movement, she pushed the panties to the side and slid him in, forcing herself all the way down to his base. The look on Inos face was all Kemurido needed, as his cock extended further, and grew thicker; nubs started to plump up along the length of his shaft, and dragon scales started to appear in patches throughout his body, including around his eyes. 

His lust fully ignited he smirked against Sakura's lips, and as she pulled back, his right eye, still onyx, now had a bright red slit in the center of it. 

"You must be Yamanaka Ino," Kemurido addressed her, slipping his waist down before thrusting once into Sakura hard enough to make her bounce up. "I've heard,  _ oh, _ so much about you."

"Sakura? You…? Who is…?" Ino tried to get the words out, dropping to her knees, looking down and seeing Kemurido's belongings, his forehead protector laying on top.

Sakura, her mind clouded in lust spurred on ever so more by his reaction and the audience of one they now had, started to wag her hips around as if dancing, rocking her hips up and down as she does. 

"Forgive my rudeness," Kemurido said, curtly. "My name is Gakitsuki Kemurido, a Jonin of Kazangakure, and I am the one who your best friend gave her virginity to. Perhaps you noticed a very clear puddle of white fluids by the door. The was her, and I used my hands alone to do that."

Ino swallowed hard. She couldn't believe what she had just walked into, or the fact that Sakura seemed  _ more _ motivated now that she was here.

_ 'She couldn't possibly be under the influence of a Genjutsu,'  _ she thought to herself.

"She isn't," Kemurido said, his right eye now the silver color it had been when Sakura first met him earlier that day, the red slit still glowing more than anything else. "This was, after all, her idea. What's the matter, can't look away? Sakura, your friend is watching." Sakura leaned her shoulders off to her right side, looking over her left, right at Ino, still pushing herself down hard on Kemurido's pipe. 

"Oh, hello pig," Sakura said, smirking, her face beet red, her eyes squinted, but a look of unsaturated lust on her face. "My boyfriend was actually against the idea."

"Well, we're not dating yet… or so I thought," Kemurido corrected.

"You shut up for a moment, Rido," Sakura chastised him, before looking back at her. "I wanted to be a good host, but I couldn't  _ resist _ the idea of shoving this in your face. So, Ino, how many men have you slept with?"

"Saku...ra..?" Ino sobbed out the word, her left hand finding it's way up to her mouth. Her right hand, on the other hand, was placed flat against the floor, as Ino squeezed her thighs around it in sadness.

"Sakura, if she's your friend, don't you think you're being a little too harsh?" Kemurido asked. "I mean, maybe she's enjoying this a little more than she's letting on."

"Hmm," Sakura replied, licking her lips slowly while looking at him before turning her head back to her, her teeth pressed into her bottom lip. "So, Ino. What's going through that mind right now? Is it really that many guys that you can't count, or is it none at all? I tell you what. Play with yourself a little. Give us a show in return for what we're giving you."

"Sakura. You know…" Kemurido tried to argue with her.

"Silence!" Sakura said, putting a hand on Kemurido's throat. "Now, I have a question for you. You said that a girl with the attitude Ino has was no good for you as 'anything more than a plaything', right?" 

"I did," Kemurido answered, smirking. "Are you saying you want Ino to be  _ our  _ little plaything?"

"No…" Sakura answered quickly, her face showing a look of disappointment, but her body was still moving. Despite her answer, her walls clenched in on Kemurido the moment he asked that question. "I'm saying, how about we challenge Ino-chan?"

"What do you have in mind?" Kemurido asked.

"If she plays with herself, and cums to the sight of us fucking, she can join in. Hell, I liked the trick you did with the Water Clone earlier," Sakura said, biting her lip at the thought. The lust had totally melted into her brain, and she barely resembled herself at this point.

"I guess I can be okay with that, with one condition for each of you," Kemurido countered. "Sakura, until you are completely satisfied, I want you to consider the idea of having Ino be our  _ shared _ plaything. Nothing more, other than being your friend, first and foremost. This would mean that, if I'm not around and you have needs, it'll become her responsibility to help you handle it," Kemurido offered.

"I guess I can consider it, as long as it doesn't mean her using her stupid Shintenshin on me and having my body waltz out of here and over to Naruto!" Sakura spat, glaring at Ino.

"Hey! I thought about doing that once, and it was to try to pull you out of your funk with Sasuke!" Ino snapped back, about to lift herself off the ground before realizing her legs were as good as mush right now. Then she realized something wet was pressing against her right arm. Looking down at her slick thighs, her eyes widened.

"Ino, your condition is that your clothes stay on the entire time no matter what happens," Kemurido ordered. "If you can live with that, and meet Sakura's condition, then I guess you get to have a run with me… or are you not so confident you can… or should. Is today not a safe day? Are you still a virgin like she was? Or are you going to lie and tell me that it doesn't sound appealing to you while your thighs are wet with fluids from your cunt!?"

Ino's eyes widened. ' _ How did this happen? Sakura used to be so shy. Just yesterday she was complaining that Sasuke almost never comes back to the village, and she wishes she had more time to talk to him… Why, Sakura?' _

"Look  _ at  _ that," Kemurido said, pulling Ino out from her mind. 

"Hmm, she's actually doing it," Sakura commented. 

_ 'Doing what?'  _ Ino asked herself before looking down, only now realizing that her hand had moved on it's own and was pinching and shaking her clit, her ring and middle fingertips prodding at her entrance and flicking at her labia. What's more, when she tried to stop herself, she couldn't. A heat washed through her body, and like a dog on a summer day, her tongue came out of her mouth. As she started panting, Kemurido made a single, one-handed hand signal, and a water clone appeared on either side of he and Sakura. 

Sakura took her hands up to her mouth, spitting into either one before gripping their cocks, stroking them as she twisted her wrists.

"Ino, if you like, you may move closer," Kemurido invited her. "Just, don't think of engaging the clones, because they're for Sakura."

Sakura leaned into Kemurido's ear whispering, Ino's name the only part of what was said that she could hear, which made Ino nervous. When Sakura finished whispering, Kemurido started to grip at the back of the couch, biting his bottom lip sharply, white fluid running down his length as Sakura continued to ride.

"Oh, Rido! Thank you so much!" She screamed, her own body starting to quiver. Still she kept riding his cock. 

Ino in the meantime was now shifting her eyes from them to herself, trying so hard to stop herself. This was just raunchy, but yet, if she did manage to stop her hand, the heat would overwhelm her, and coax her on. "Sa-Sakura…!" She groaned lowly.

"Oh! Rido! I think… she's getting close," Sakura moaned in his ear.

"She is, my dear," Kemurido said, his eyes locked onto Ino, who involuntarily started moving closer, leaning her head forward. "And I think I am too. You keep tightening down on me and…. Fuck!" 

"Then let's all...cum together," Sakura said, her eyes rolling back. 

"Not yet, honey," Kemurido demanded. "Let her catch up a second." 

Ino's mind blanked, her body moving pretty much on it's own as she now sat just behind Sakura's bouncing pelvis. Her wobbly legs extended, pushing her up shakily, as she leaned into it, her tongue finding the place where the other two were connected, lapping up the semen that had dripped out of Sakura before coming down to Kemurido's scrotum, clumsily lapping at his right testicle, moaning into it.

"Does she have permission to do that?" Kemurido asked Sakura.

"She's not doing it for her pleasure, so fuck it!" Sakura moaned. "I'm…" Sakura started to say.

"Me.. too," he followed. The clones both nodded. "Ino?"

"Mmh-hmm," Ino grunted, her irises barely visible rolled back as she starts moaning frantically. Her mouth came off of his balls, her mouth agape. It was starting. 

Sakura pulled her hands away from the clones, who both stood up, pointing their cocks at Ino, meanwhile, Sakura lifted herself off of Kemurido's dick, turning herself around in place, before aiming his cock down at Ino's face. She grabbed her friend by the back of her hair and pulled her mouth onto Kemurido's cock, pulling against her gagging until his tip was pushed down her throat. 

Sakura hovered over Ino's face, strumming herself off, trying to imitate Kemurido's movements from earlier. The only scents Ino could smell were sweat, Cherry Blossoms, Vanilla, and bamboo.

Ino and Sakura both started moaning uncontrollably, as wet sounds filled the room, first from the floor beneath Ino's hips, where a very large puddle now lay. Then Sakura threw her head back, arching more flexibly than she thought as she pressed her upside-down lips to Kemurido, squirting all over her best friends face, which, in Kemurido's perspective, was framed by Sakura's supple, but modest breasts. 

His breath caught in his throat as, with Ino still moaning on it, and cumming some more, he shot a thick load directly down her throat. 

The clones came closer to her, each pulling at the arm slits of her top, pushing their cocks into it, and cumming onto her breasts between her shirt and her bra. 

Only then did Sakura let her friend's hair go, pressing her lips to Ino's who seemed unresponsive, before standing up and helping Ino to her feet. Ino seemed completely out of it as Sakura and the two clones helped lower her onto Kemurido's waist. She didn't even budge as Sakura tore a hole in Ino's mesh net shorts she wore under her skirt, nor when Sakura licked it, one of the clones moving behind Sakura. 

Sakura guided Kemurido's cock to Ino's entrance as the clone did his own to Sakura's asshole, then Sakura pulled Ino towards her, sitting her up as the clone pushed his dick into her at the same time Kemurido's slid into Ino's pussy, breaking her soft hymen. Both let out loud wails as they were penetrated, Ino only now coming to her senses as she, of her body's own accord, started grinding against his cock inside her pussy, Sakura still licking at it with the clones dick ravaging her asshole. Ino's left hand came to her mouth and she started biting at two of her fingers, while her other hand grabbed Sakura's hair, begging her not to stop licking.

Kemurido grunted with each movement Ino made.

"Either, you know what you're doing… or… you're a natural, Ino," he choked out.

"I've never… done this… before," she was panting heavily. 

_ 'Fuck! Was it today or tomorrow that isn't a safe day!?'  _ Ino thought to herself suddenly. Her slit started to quiver as she panicked.

"If you don't stop tightening down on me, I'm going to cum quicker, and I'd rather you enjoy this," Kemurido scolded her.

"I- I can't help it!" She screamed. 

"Is something wrong, Ino?" Sakura asked her, flicking her clitoris, causing Ino's mouth to gape as she shivered. 

"I… it may not be… safe," were the only words she could breathe before her moaning returned. 

"Oh, that's what's… gotten into you?" Kemurido asked. "So, you're not enjoying this?" 

"I… I am.. but.. I'm not ready for a kid," Ino said.

"Then just get off of him when he's ready to cum," Sakura replied, a slightly annoyed look on her face.

"Cause he warned you when he came inside you!" Ino snapped.

"Well, today is a safe day for me… I hope," Sakura replied, shrugging. 

"Sakura!" Ino yelled.

"I'll give you a choice here, Ino," Kemurido said. "One load, or every load? If you choose one, I'll only cum in your pussy once, and you can try out the back door. With luck, you won't get pregnant. But if you choose every, your asshole won't be touched today, but every time I cum for the remainder of our playtime, it will be in your pussy."

"But, that's an exit only," Ino said.

"I thought so too," Sakura said. "But it surprised me."

"So, is that a 'no'?" Kemurido asked.

"Ugh," Ino gritted her teeth. "Just one, but you better be gentle!"

"Ino, you're the one in control of that," Sakura teased, pulling her mouth away from Ino's twat, taking the other clones cock in hand. She licked the tip a little.

"Oh, fuck, I'm cumming again!" Ino yelled, as she started spasming, Kemurido started thrusting through her clenched legs to do what Ino couldn't in her current state. Her passage kept constricting until he couldn't hold it again.

"Ino," he said.

"Not now… I'm still...," she started.

"I'm cumming," he tried telling her. 

"I don't fucking care, stop moving!" Ino yelled.

He spat out a large load of semen inside of her as he stopped moving, the two of them sitting there for a moment. Then she noticed wet and slimy warmness inside of her.

"Wait, did you cum!" She asked, turning around on him, twisting around his cock before it slid out when she got in his face.

"I tried to warn you," he said. "You said you didn't 'fucking' care."

"I just wanted you to stop moving," Ino sobbed. 

"You agreed that I was cumming inside your pussy at least once," Kemurido countered. 

"You didn't give me a choice!" Ino argued.

"So, Ino doesn't like the feeling of a creampie," Sakura teased, standing straight up, motioning the clone that was standing to lay down, which it did. She lowered herself onto the clone. "Or is it perhaps that you didn't give yourself a chance to enjoy it?"

"Oh, she enjoyed it more than she's letting up. She can't hide that from my eyes," Kemurido confirms. "She's just stressed over something… specific. Shame that it's either today or tomorrow that's your danger day, Ino, because sperm can live in the uterus up to seventy-two hours."

"Is that true, Ino?" Sakura smirked, moaning, and rolling her eyes back as the other clone entered her ass hole. 

"Y-you shouldn't blurt out a ladies private thoughts!" Ino yelled at him, blushing a dark crimson.

"Ino, have you been satisfied? Take a second to clear your mind before you answer. But bare in mind, if you give up, you're losing to Sakura in this regard," Kemurido said. 

"Like hell I would let that happen!" Ino snapped, taking a kunai from her pouch and cutting Kemurido's binds before making a single hand signal, pointing at Kemurido.

"Shintenshin!" She screamed.

"Holy shit!" Sakura said, watching Ino jump into Kemurido's body, her own falling limp. Kemurido sat up, picking up Ino's body before turning around, laying her on her chest, facing the back of the couch, and started to tie her wrists to where Kemurido's were tied previously. He turns back to Sakura smiling. 

"I'm not losing to you, billboard brow!" Ino's voice overlapped with Kemurido's as he, or rather, she spoke. She had him bend over, and testing a suspicion, she pushed two of his fingers into her own pussy, feeling his fingers enter her despite not being in her own body. 

_ 'Oh, I'm going to really enjoy this, aren't? This scares me a bit, actually,'  _ she thought to herself, trying to scrape every last bit of semen out of her, before realizing that she could only get along the passage, and anything in deep enough was beyond her reach. She sighed.  _ 'Better make the best of this, in that case…' _

She pressed her same two fingers against her asshole, still hesitant on what Sakura said, and prodded it with her fingers, feeling a tingle in her lower body, Kemurido's cock twitching in response to her own feelings. She looked down at it as she continues to try to spread her anus with his fingers, his own cum on them. 

_ 'This big thing was inside of me?'  _ Ino asked herself. 

She gave up trying to spread it and spat into his hand before lathering it along his cock, then did the same two more times. Then she guided his cock to her asshole, and pushed against it slowly. His jaw came open as she began to moan, in his voice. 

"Damn, my ass is fucking tight, and this thing feels like it's going to break me," she said aloud, laughing a little, not even inside herself yet. A mischievous grin crossed Sakura's face and she got off the clones, letting the one in her ass slide out. Then she snuck up behind Kemurido, and pushed Ino at his waist, forcing her to slide his cock into her. The only sound to follow was a gasp, as Ino felt herself being sodomized all of a sudden. She breathed really heavily for a second, not even halfway in.

"Wha-what'd-ugh… what did you do that for!?" Ino asked Sakura. 

"You were taking too long," Sakura said annoyed. "You know you're curious how it feels," Sakura teased her best friend. She reached around Kemurido's body grabbing hold of his cock, and stroking the length of shaft not yet inside of Ino's body. She bit Kemurido's earlobe, licking it. "Push it all the way in with your next move, trust me. Make use of your gift."

_ 'Well, I guess she's right. If she enjoyed it, I can't let her hold that over me, and being able to do this, to  _ feel  _ this, is the one thing Sakura can never top me in,'  _ Ino thought to herself, grinning.

"Okay," Ino said confidently, before pushing his cock all the way inside, gaping her asshole, as well as Kemurido's jaw at the same time, his eyes rolled back in his skull. An incredible heat overtook her thoughts, feeling an insatiable urge for more, but also in a strong state of shock. Sakura was right, this felt amazing, for both of them, though with her in his body, she would never feel what her ass would feel like tightened around this cock, at least not from his perspective. 

"Oh my…" Ino gasped, before giving it one more thrust, which also resulted in a gasp. One thrust turned into another, and in no time she found that she couldn't stop herself, thrusting harder and faster. Drool started to leak from Kemurido's mouth as she kept thrusting into her own ass. Sakura grinned and turned back to the clones, resuming what she and the clones were doing, grinding her hips back and forth between the two, who resumed their thrusting, her soft moans background noise for Ino's little out of body adventure. 

Ino wasn't sure what to do when his cock started twitching, and every movement became very sensitive for both of them, which Ino felt doubly so. She gritted his teeth, then there came a time where even though Ino wanted to keep moving, the sensitivity felt so good it actually hurt to move. Then came his orgasm, which was shared, because with how Ino felt, her body reacted on it's own, spasming out as if having a seizure, her own ass and pussy both clenching and quivering as she let out his cum into her ass. She attempted to move the cock in again, and couldn't, the sensitivity was just too much for her. 

She sat their panting, unable to move an inch for what felt like forever, but as she tried to move, not an inch could be budged, not even his tongue acknowledged her control.

_ 'You're an invader here, miss,'  _ a voice said, sounding as if it came from her ears.  _ 'You should've never tried taking control of my host.' _

_ 'Who are you?'  _ Ino asked.  _ 'Why isn't your personality suppressed by my jutsu?' _

_ 'Kemurido is what you'd call a Jinchuuriki, just not for a tailed beast,'  _ the voice said.  _ 'If I let you go, will you return to your own body?'  _

_ 'I-... I want to feel more of this. This feels way too good!'  _ Ino protested. 

_ 'Let me discuss it with him for a moment,'  _ the voice spoke, then there was a silence. Ino couldn't hear anything anymore, or feel anything. All she could do was see her own body tied in front of her. 

_ 'You may use this body once more, on two conditions,'  _ it said, after a long while.  _ 'Firstly, you must please his girlfriend anyway possible once you're released. Convince her to allow you to be their shared plaything. Second, you must try out how your pussy feels with this body. The master felt like you might be curious, and wanted you to explore a little more.' _

_ 'With pleasure,'  _ Ino thought in response. 

_ 'But, if you fail to leave right after you cum, he will reclaim control with you trapped seeing things from his eyes, and nothing else,'  _ the voice warned.  _ 'And he said that would be no fun.' _

_ 'Seems the type to say that,'  _ Ino said, as the sound began to return to her. She pulled his cock out of her ass, and thrusted deep into her own snatch in one go, feeling it all the way. 

_ 'Not  _ quite _ as tight, but it feels great for both of us either way. I can definitely see why he wanted to cum inside just once,'  _ Ino thought to herself, playing with her own ass as she continued to literally fuck herself, feeling every movement of both genitalia against each other.  _ 'I guess it's all right. At least the dude's hot. Not Sasuke or Sai hot, but still hot.'  _

She kept thrusting until she was about to cum again, this time clasping her hands together, she wanted to be sure she could release the jutsu the moment she came. Sakura moaned loudly behind her, then a poof could be heard, as the clones vanished. Sakura then pranced over to the two. 

"Still in there, Ino?" Sakura asked, looking at Kemurido.

"Yes," Ino answered.

"Enjoying yourself?" Sakura asked.

"Yes," Ino answered. 

"Don't go and get yourself trapped in there," Sakura teased, reaching around and poking a finger into Ino's anus, curling it just a little bit. 

"Sakura!" She moaned, as she came inside her own pussy, as her pussy tightened around Kemurido's cock. Ino was now on a whole different level of high, but she frantically built up chakra. "Release!" She yelled, most the blue orb of her soul leaving his body and entering her own, but a small portion refused to follow, or wasn't being allowed to. Either way, Ino opened her eyes, back in her own body, but something didn't feel right, as she could see her own back when she closed her eyes.

_ 'You failed to be completely out before your time ran out, Ino,'  _ Kemurido's voice spoke in her head.  _ 'Now, squeeze those cheeks together. Oh, and please be gentle with Sakura, -zetsu.'  _

"Sakura, why don't you climb over the ropes and let Ino have a go at you?" Kemurido suggested to the pinkette. 

"Oh, I planned on it," Sakura giggles, gracefully dancing up onto the couch before sliding herself down into a sitting position on the couch, her legs spread. She pulled her labia away from one another. "Go on, Ino."

Kemurido, in the meantime began thrusting, but not into her pussy, instead pulling out and putting it back in her ass, in the meantime, leaning forward and digging his teeth into Ino's shoulder as he thrusted hard, his left hand reaching under her and strumming against her clit and labia with all four fingers, frisking it hard.

Ino was panting hard as she lowered her mouth to Sakura's entrance, hesitant about what to do, but she was at a point she didn't want this to end anytime soon, so she licked her lips before pressing her tongue to Sakura's skin, awkwardly lapping at any bit she could before Sakura pointed at her clit. 

"Focus here," Sakura said. "Try to draw shapes on it with your tongue." Ino did as told, letting her bottom row of teeth press against her entrance, shivering as Sakura's leg kicked out, laying down straight under Ino now. 

"Hmmm, that was good," Sakura said, putting a finger to her lips as she looked down at Ino, blushing. Ino kept it up, unable to improvise too much more beyond that until her tongue slipped and followed her jaw, licking at the first inch inside of Sakura's canal. This part tasted different to her. More salty, she had noticed as she swirled her tongue around and lapped at it. 

Ino tensed up, ready to cum, not just from what was being done to her, but also because of how Kemurido's every sensation was transferred to her as well. She clenched her ass hard, and Kemurido pushed all the way into her, and they both started cumming, some of his cum leaking from around his shaft down towards her slit. He pulled out of her. 

"Sakura's turn," he told Ino, pushing her up as Sakura slid underneath her, the two women belly to belly. Kemurido leaned into Ino's ear. "You know, you could try a Henge-no-jutsu, if you think you can get the features of the penis right," He whispered into her ear. "Anyone at all will do, and you can help me out here."

_ 'She likes Sasuke still,'  _ the dragon spoke directly to her via the part of her still inside of Kemurido.  _ 'But she's making an attempt to move on. Your choice though, you could become him, or you could try something else. Maybe humiliate her a little bit.' _

_ 'I can't do the hand signals,'  _ Ino thought to herself, only then realizing that Kemurido had placed his hands on her back, making the hand signals. Ino made half a hand signal with her right hand, letting his signals do the trick.

"Henge no jutsu," she said, as her hair became a brighter shade of yellow, and her eyes a deeper shade of blue. Whisker lines crossed either cheek, and her shirt was undone. Her sweats, however, were nowhere to be seen, but she had transformed into an identical twin to Naruto.

She grinned down at Sakura, pressing her lips to his, exposing her cock from beneath the black boxers, and running it along Sakura's crease. At the same time, Kemurido prodded against Sakura's anus. Kemurido slide his in first, causing Sakura to give a low groan into Ino-Naruto's lips, but as Ino pushed in, the groan grew to a full forced moan. Instead of alternating thrusts, the two thrusted into her at different paces. Ino, starting to give into her lust moved at a quick, athletic pace, whereas Kemurido moved at a slow, much more intimate pace, but thrusted in hard either way. 

The heat in Sakura's body started to grow quickly. She was being fucked by both of them at the same time, and this time it was actually two different people. 

Kemurido reached his right hand around Ino's body, the blond still unable to use her hands, as he reached down to Sakura's entrance, pressing his thumb against her clit, rubbing it in a star pattern, his other fingertips trying to reach for her navel. His left hand was more occupied on holding Ino's belly away from Sakura's to allow him to frisk her.

Sakura couldn't help but grip the cushions of the couch on either side of her, this was absolutely intense, and she couldn't think of anything else, her body starting to thrash around a little all on it's own. 

_ 'Ino, I have a proposition,'  _ Kemurido said to her through the part of her trapped inside of him.  _ 'There's a jutsu we could try together. It'd be interesting to see the effect it would have.' _

_ 'What is it?'  _ Ino asked him.

_ 'Konbi Henge no Jutsu,' he said. 'Just imagine Naruto, and I'll do the hand signals.' _

_ 'Okay,'  _ Ino replied, gathering her chakra as she pictured Naruto, bracing herself as he made the hand signal for reverse ram on her back. 

"Konbi Henge no Jutsu," he said aloud, to which Sakura's eyes widened, as his form sank into the form of Naruto, but this Naruto resembled his four tailed form, just with actual skin instead of burning chakra circling around him. 

' _ When did Ino see this side of him?'  _ Sakura asked herself. 

The four tailed Naruto looked down on himself. "This is different," it spoke in a meld of the two voices. "But, it'll do. The tails are a nice touch." Three of the tails circled around its body, one sliding under each side of her bra, and cupping her breasts, prodding at her nipples, and the third wrapping itself around her left leg, before nudging against the entrance where the four inch thick cock was already inside of. 

The final tail arched down between its legs and tried to clumsily push it's way into her ass, but to no avail. It didn't have the right muscle structure for that, so instead in came up and wrapped itself around Sakura's throat. 

"How are you feeling, dear/ Pinky?" The voice said, each voice addressing her differently, as it started to thrust in.

"Oh my FUCKING god, you're going to break me!" Sakura yelped, her tongue hanging out as her eyes rolled back. Her spasming before hardly compared as the couch cushions started to move underneath her, kicking and moaning constantly as Four Tails kept thrusting in, Ino and Kemurido's pleasure mixing together. Sakura's passage clamped down hard, as black lines stretched from the violet diamond on her head, down her face, and throughout her body. 

The cock inside of her was tear the insides a little, but she wasn't willing to give up on this feeling, driven by lust as she rocked her hips involuntarily, causing the dick inside of her to start erupting in no time, curtains of white shooting out and across the floor. Sakura let out a squeal as fluid burst out against the tail that was on her clit. The transformations broke, and Ino, still bound at the wrist, hovered over Sakura, who had passed out with a look of bliss on her face. 

Ino sat there panting, cum dripping from her own pussy from Kemurido somehow ending up inside of her when the transformation broke, cumming again inside her before he fell, and hit his head on the ground.

"Can you…. Untie me… please?" She asked him. 

With a groan he stood up, rubbing the back of his head, and walked over to the couch, plopping down next to Sakura. He untied Ino's right hand then reached across to do the same for her left.

"That was wild," Ino laughed, climbing off of Sakura. 

"Indeed," he panted. "A lot of fun though." He stood up. "Now, I imagine you're hungry. I'm going to go make the three of us lunch. You've earned it. You can either just rest, or go clean up if need be."

"You're going to take responsibility, right?" Ino sighed as he walked away.

"I already decided to commit to Sakura, however, if the worst comes to pass, I'll at least provide for the child," Kemurido answered.

"I meant about hers," Ino said. "I'm fairly sure that, considering how long she and I have known each other, that she's on the same cycle as me."

"Yes, of course," he said. "Though, there's a chance that the child will be every bit as much yours as it is mine." 

"What do you mean?" Ino asked.

"Konbi Henge no Jutsu is the means by which my mother, Mouri-Gakitsuki Saayaka, became pregnant with me," Kemurido answered. "My Tsukinome and onyx eyes came from one person, and my white hair and pale skin came from another. I'm told I have my mother's nose, and the same shape of her eyes, but I know that it doesn't make sense for either one of those two to have produced a child like me by himself. I might have been a product of breeding, or my mother had a really kinky mind. I'm not sure, and I'll never know."

"So, I could have a part in that kid's DNA?" Ino asked.

"Yes," Kemurido answered. Ino smiled at the thought, as weird as the situation was. "Anyways, let my future wife sleep a little bit, and I'll go make food," Kemurido requested.

"Hey!"

"Yeah?"

"Is it okay if I call you Rido?"

Kemurido snickered. "Of course, pig."

"Hey!"

"I'm kidding, Ino. Just, take care of yourself," Kemurido said, leaving the room, heading toward the kitchen. 

"Okay," Ino closed her eyes, and tilted her head back, her head spinning from everything and as she drifted, a smile crossed her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Okay, this chapter took a lot longer to type out than I thought it would, but it was worth it. I hope you enjoyed reading it. I enjoyed the time I spent typing this. I actually wouldn't mind if someone decided to make this into a doujinshi, just please, if you do, credit me in the closing pages please. Anyways, next time, we have food, and a trip to the hospital. See you in a few days when I've finished it.]


	8. Chapter 7: Ugoku no Amai Yume <Sweet Dreams In Motion>

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Picks up pretty much immediately after the last chapter.

To the women just waking up on the couch, it would have seemed like only five minutes had passed, but Kemurido had been working in the kitchen for just over an hour in just his jeans, his hair still closing behind him as he dances around it. It was just after 2:PM at this point. The smell of beef, vegetables, spices, and rice wafted through the apartment, masking the scent of sweat and sex that had clung to every wall from the front door to the kitchen. 

He carefully served the rice in three bowls first, then the veggies, then the beef. 

He came in to wake the sleeping women. Ino woke with a yawn stretching her arms, and groaning, but Sakura wouldn't budge, drooling on herself. Kemurido looked at Ino, who nodded, and continued to attempt to rouse Sakura while he returned to the kitchen preparing three bowls of fruit salad as a side dish.

He placed the bowls around the table, his and Sakura's just about next to each other, before grabbing six chopsticks, and laying two over the brim of each of the main dishes. 

Then he started making tea, choosing to add a pinch of chamomile and ground ginseng to the pot as the tea was made. When the tea was finished, he sifted out the excess particulates, then poured three cups, putting them at each seat. 

It was at this point that the ladies entered the dining room, Sakura stumbling a little and rubbing her eyes whilst Ino stretched upon entry. Kemurido practically danced over to Sakura, taking her arm over his shoulder, before helping her to her seat, then disappearing into the living room to grab his obi, which he brought in and set on Sakura's shoulders. She looked up at him quizzically.

"I can't imagine you want to eat half naked, and I'm sure that the sweat from all of that is starting to feel cold on your skin," he said gently, taking his seat. He leaned over to her and kissed her gently on her cheek.

"Umm, thank you," she blushed, then yawned loudly. She took her time clumsily putting his obi on over her lingerie.

"Eat up, honey," Kemurido insisted. "This will restore your stamina, and help your muscles to heal from all the strain we put them through."

"It'll also cause some indigestion, but… it looks good. Did you really cook this all by yourself?" Ino asked, picking at the vegetables and placing the beef strips to one side of the bowl.

"Well, of course I did," Kemurido smiles. "Have to make sure my girls, one of which is apparently my girlfriend, are eating well."

"You may have overdone it," Ino replied. "We don't usually eat this much."

"Whatever you don't eat, I'll finish," Kemurido nodded, his eyes reflecting concern. "But I would advise that you eat as much as you can. Protein and carbs are really good for you after extensive exercise."

"That was just a warm up for you, wasn't it?" Ino replied.

"Considering Kazangakure has been at the center of every civil conflict in the Land of Wildfires for the last seven hundred years, and we just got finished unifying the nation for the first time ever," Kemurido stated. "You could say that I've had more strain on my muscles lasting for weeks on end than I did this afternoon. That was also before becoming a 'Jinchuuriki'."

"Why do you put emphasis on it like that?" Ino asked.

"Because in my nation, we have a different term for it, since we don't have Bijuu there," Kemurido explained. "In the Land of Wildfires, I'm what's called a 'Maku sa Reta Mono' <marked one>, or more commonly a 'Ryujin' because of the beast sealed."

"So, we refer to you as a Ryujin then?" Ino asked.

"If you wish, you may use any terminology you like," Kemurido smiled. 

Ino took her first bite of beef, her eyes springing open as she did. "That tastes delicious!" She said with glee. "How did you cook it?"

"Family secret," Kemurido explained. "Maybe someday, you'll know, but until then." Kemurido winked at the blond. He only started eating at his own food after Sakura started eating hers. Her eyes widened at the taste just the same. 

"You're going to give me the recipe, right?" Sakura asked, a look of hope in her eyes.

"As long as we're together long enough to marry, you'll have a whole cookbook as your wedding gift from me," Kemurido answered. 

"Awesome!" Sakura said, smiling, seemingly reenergized. 

"So… we're official?" Kemurido asked her, tilting his head as he looked at her.

"Umm, yeah. I guess we are…" Sakura answered scratching her chin.

"I mean, we're officially dating, or was that your lust, and urge to one-up your best friend speaking?"

"A little bit of both," Sakura admitted, lowering her head.

"Sakura, I accept, -zetsu," Kemurido said, placing his right hand, chopsticks and all, over hers. She sprang up at his words, starting to really eat away at the food excitedly.

"I don't think I've ever seen-" Ino started.

"Please don't tease her right now," Kemurido said to Ino. "Let her have this."

"If course. Why wouldn't I?" Ino asked.

_ 'I've never seen Sakura this happy. It's almost like she's gotten everything she ever wanted…. That's what you were going to say, isn't it?' _ Kemurido's voice resounded through Ino's head. Her eyes widened. 

_ 'You still haven't let go of that part of me?!'  _ Ino screamed back in her head.

_ 'I did, but it appears there's still a link here,'  _ Kemurido answered, looking at her, then back to his girl.

_ 'This is nuts,'  _ Ino said.

_ 'It'll pass. Just give it time,' _ Kemurido said.

_ 'And if it doesn't?' _

_ 'It will' _

_ 'But what if it doesn't?' _

_ 'Then you and I have a connection that is permanent, and you get to permanently hold this over Sakura. Now, can we drop it?'  _ Kemurido asked.

Ino puffed out her chest and then exhaled. Kemurido brushed a strand of Sakura's hair behind her left ear. 

"How long will it take for you to restore the chakra in your Hyakugou?" He asked Sakura. 

"It'll take a few days," Sakura answered. 

"If I loaned you some chakra, would it restore it quicker?" He asked. "I hate that it wasted your reserves like that. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Sakura said, waving her hands back and forth. 

"Speaking of seals, I didn't see one on your body, " Ino speculated. "Where was the Seal Spell Formula placed?"

"It's a two-pronged seal," Kemurido explains sticking out his tongue, showing a glyph on it, framed with a circle that looked almost like a dragon eating it's own tail, he put it back in his mouth. "This one has two purposes, and those are to conceal the other, and to keep my chakra from being pulled out against my will. The other one is on my back. It's only visible, because of the one in my mouth, if a certain type of chakra hovers over it. That seal is more complicated."

"What type of chakra?" Ino asked.

"Healing chakra," he looked at Sakura. "Like what you'd use if I got injured back there."

"Oh, I…" Sakura may have only known this man a couple of hours, but he was already important to her. She didn't want to think about him getting injured.

"Oh, come on. You know I'm not  _ that _ important to you yet," Kemurido said. "That kind of importance takes time. I appreciate the thought though." 

Kemurido was wrong. Sakura had fallen hard for him, so much so that she couldn't bare the thought of losing him. She would walk to the ends of the Earth for him, even into the foreign lands. Part of her had hoped that he felt the same. 

"Anyways, any other plans you're forgetting about?" Kemurido asked.

"Give me a minute to think," Sakura replied, slowing down.

"Anyways, I've now met two of the three heroes who took down the Rabbit Eared Goddess… but the other is still someone I have no idea how to find," Kemurido stated, changing the subject while Sakura was thinking. "Any clue on where to look for Uchiha Sasuke?"

"He doesn't say where he's going," Sakura said through suddenly glazed eyes.

"Way to totally kill the mood, Rido!" Ino yelled across the table.

"I'm sorry," he smiled, scratching his head, realizing his hair felt weird not put up like it usually was. "I was just curious about meeting the other.."

"Don't finish that statement," Ino said.

_ 'What are you really doing?'  _ Ino asked him through her thoughts. 

_ 'What do you mean? I'm trying to locate Sasuke,' _ Kemurido thought back to her.

_ 'Why? I hardly believe you'd risk hurting someone who feels so strongly for you just to meet one of your heroes,'  _ Ino countered.

_ 'How insightful you are,'  _ Kemurido acknowledged her whits.  _ 'Sasuke massacred my clan. The only two people left alive are myself, and the current Kaibunkage, whose health has been ailing since that night.' _

_ 'And what do you intend to do when you find him?' _ Ino asked.  _ 'You going to stab him in the throat?' _

_ 'I'm not a savage, but I am a ninja,'  _ Kemurido stated.  _ 'Besides… I doubt trying to assassinate him would work. It'd turn into a brawl the moment I tried. No, I plan on challenging him to a fight, no holding back.' _

_ 'And if he loses?'  _ Ino asked. 

_ 'If you're asking me whether I'm going to kill him or not, I've yet to decide. That will depend on him. There's a lot you can tell about an opponent you're fighting for the sake of vengeance,'  _ Kemurido's answer was honest.  _ 'If he seems like he regrets it, I may very well let him live with the warning to never do something like that again.' _

_ 'I don't believe Sasuke would've done that,'  _ Ino stated. 

_ 'Why? Because you used to have a crush on him, and thus pretend like you know him, whilst putting him on a pedestal?' _ Kemurido asked harshly.

_ 'No. Because he had to live through the same thing when he was a young boy,'  _ Ino explained.  _ 'His family was slaughtered by his brother.' _

_ 'Oh…. I wasn't aware,'  _ Kemurido thought, lowering his eyes.

_ 'But you did all other sort of research into tracking him down, didn't you?'  _ Ino asked.  _ 'Have you considered a Henge, or a case of mistaken identity.' _

_ 'His abilities, including Kekkei Genkai, all match the description, as well as his appearance,'  _ Kemurido countered.

_ 'Ask Juugo if you get the chance, but please, at least talk to Sasuke first,'  _ Ino requested.

_ 'If you insist… but only if he lets me,'  _ Kemurido finished.

Ino rolled her eyes. "I'm going to go clean up." She slid her bowl across the table to Kemurido, having at least finished the fruit salad. "If that's okay, Sakura?"

"Yeah, go ahead. I just have to clean up before we head out," Sakura said, coming out of her daze as Ino walked through the living room, and in the distance her footsteps could be heard going up the stairs. "I forgot that I had a couple of patients to check up on, and Tsunade-baachan would never let me hear the end of it if I neglected my duties."

"The two you mentioned earlier?" Kemurido asked.

"The same," Sakura confirmed. "You're welcome to stay here if you'd prefer, though," she hesitated, before saying in a low voice, "I'd like you to come with me."

"Of course I'll come with you," Kemurido smiled faintly, a lot on his mind.  _ 'Juugo,'  _ he thought to himself. Upstairs, the water started running.

"I guess she took a little longer to get in the shower than usual," Sakura said.

"Probably more sore than she realized," Kemurido suggested. "How about you? You feeling okay?"

"Yeah, just a little fatigued," Sakura answered with a soft smile.

"I'm sorry for bringing  _ him _ up," Kemurido apologized with a soft, smooth voice, almost like he was singing as he spoke. Sakura blushed, unable to look at him.

"You don't have to apologize," she said. "It shouldn't bother me, and I need to get over it. Not hearing his name is only going to make it harder when I do. Please don't hold back for my sake."

"If I told you he may know the location of my clan's assailant, would that make you feel any better about why I asked?" He asked her, not completely lying, but misleading her anyways.

"I really couldn't tell you," she answered. "You're free to look through his letters in my… our bedroom," she paused, nervous about having said that. "But… the last letter was weeks ago."

"It's a lead at any rate," he said. "Anyone in the village who may know more?"

"Just Juugo," Sakura answered, looking up at him. "Though, if you could track down Orochimaru, he may know. Sasuke tends to stop in at his place in between tasks, as far as I know."

"That's helpful," Kemurido smiled, gently running his fingers along her mandible. 

"What are you going to do when you find the 'assailant', as you called him?" Sakura asked, the worst question she could have asked him. He blinked.

"I don't think trying to sneak up on him and assassinating him would work, and even if it did, it wouldn't be satisfying. I want the man to know I was the one to finish him off, if it comes to that," Kemurido answered.

"You sound like someone I know," Sakura said, not wanting to compare the two, choosing instead to try to disassociate the name with the memory. 

" _ Him? _ " Kemurido asked, to which Sakura nodded. 

"Anyways, you don't plan on killing him either way?" Sakura asked.

"Depends on how things go," Kemurido answered. "The situation may change my mind, or I could change between now and then. I don't know how I'll feel when the time comes, and I don't want to try to claim to know what my intentions will be when the moment faces me."

"In that regard, you differ from him," Sakura said.

"Please don't compare he and I," Kemurido requested. "It's not good for you, and if you were talking with someone other than I, they might suggest that you're using me as a surrogate for your feelings."

"Y-you're right!" Sakura said, sitting upright and taking a power pose. 

"Easy there, my queen," Kemurido teased patting her on the back. A thump could be heard up above.

"I've never heard that when she's taken a shower before," Sakura said. "Maybe I should go check on her." 

"I could, if you don't want to get up," Kemurido offered.

"Do you know any healing ninjutsu?" Sakura asked.

"Show me what I need," Kemurido said, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them back up, the red iris with three tomoe replacing both of his onyx black eyes. 

"You're going to use that to learn it?" she asked.

"A little later, I'll retrace the steps to learn it properly, but for right now, this will do to learn it for what's needed in the moment," he answered.

"Okay," she said, placing a palm to his shoulder, which should have healed since she scratched him, but hadn't. As her hand hovers, it glows a sea green, and the scratches close themselves. Kemurido placed a hand on his girlfriend's arm, feeding chakra to her, that, as soon as she was done healing him, she forced to flow up to her Hyakugou.

"You didn't have to do that," she smiled, blushing, before leaning over and kissing his chest. 

"No, but I should make do for my messes," he said. "Anyways, you keep eating, and I'll go see what happened."

"And no fun time," she squinted at him as he went to walk out of the room.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" He asked, half yelling. "I couldn't go another round if I tried."

"Good!" She said, turning her back to him before giggling. 

"Ha-ha," he said, walking away. The steps were narrow, but they weren't steep either. It didn't take much effort for him to climb them. He approached the door at the end of the hall on the left, which was where the sound of running water came from. He knocked twice.

"Just get in here!" Ino shouted. "I'm having a bit of trouble."

Kemurido walked through the door to a room filled with steam. He considered just getting in but decided on a different approach.

"Ino, it's me," he said. "I'm going to drop my pants and get in."

"Whaaaah!?" She asked. "How bold of you to come up here like this? Did you not get enough!?"

Kemurido did as he announced and climbed in, "It's not like that," he corrected her, placing a glowing green palm on the back of her head, assuming she bumped her head.

"Tha-that's better," she sighed. "Could you help me wash my back? I tried doing it myself, but my arms won't reach right now."

"I could do that for you," Kemurido exhaled. "Did you hurt yourself anywhere else?" He asked, grabbing the soap for her, rubbing it up and down her spine. "Oh, and don't try turning around to try anything smart, I won't allow it."

"Didn't intend to," Ino said. "But, yes… my knee. It's the reason I slipped."

"Which one?" He asked as he finished rubbing the soap along her backside. 

"Right," she answered, which prompted him to move his hand down her thigh, only to have it glow as it reached her knee. After a short time period, he looked up at her. 

"Any better?" Kemurido asked.

"Yes," Ino said. 

"Anything else?" 

"No, get back downstairs to your girlfriend!" She screeched.

"As you wish," Kemurido said, standing up and stepping out. He dried off and put his pants back on, leaving the room, before heading back downstairs.

When he walked into the kitchen, Sakura was taking the last bite of her food.

"You have a better appetite than your friend," Kemurido commented, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Need a hand up?"

"I-... I'm okay," she hesitated nervously. 

"Don't be stubborn," he said, kneeling beside her, offering his shoulder. "Come on. Ino should be just about finished. Let's go get you some clothes."

"What about you?" Sakura asked, leaning on his shoulder.

"My clothes from before should suffice," Kemurido said, closing his eyes as he lifted her, then swept her feet up to carry her, bridal style, through her own house, which made her blush again.

"Unacceptable!" She snapped in his ear. "I have clothes you can borrow from my closet."

"Mens clothes? You sure they'll fit me?" Kemurido asked.

"Yes!.. And… yes," she answered, her eyes darkening. "They were bought with Sasuke in mind, but he's never worn them, and you're about the same size as him."

"Fine," he sighed. "But I'll have to pick up clothes for myself, if I'm going to be changing clothes regularly now."

"Wait, so you haven't changed since you left your village?" She asked him, as he started climbing the steps.

"I have, but only for a night while I cleaned my preferred clothes," Kemurido answered. "Usually wearing a robe from my current venue, or keeping myself concealed as I waited for my clothes to dry."

"But not recently?" She asked, an accusing look on her face. 

"Not since Amegakure," he answered. "The landscape has been too open for me to take my chances."

"That's… actually a fair point…" she replied. 

They reached the top of the stairs, and Kemurido brought them down the hall, to a room whose door sat at the very end up the hall. He sat her on the bed. 

"Now, for your clothes," he said. 

"I'm capable of finding my own," she said sitting up. "I know just the outfit I want to wear." 

"All right," Kemurido replied. He waited for a moment before she stepped out of the closet with a bundle wrapped, and placed it on the bed. As she did, he heard the water cut out.

"Keeping secrets are we?" He asked.

"It's a surprise," Sakura said with a wink.

"Oh, I see," Kemurido acknowledged. "Anyways, you said there were clothes for me?"

"You like black, right?" She said, crossing the room to a small wardrobe placed in the corner, opening it up.

"Yeah, and red," he answered.

"Blue or white?" She asked, seeing that anything with red on it had one or the other.

"White," he answered. What she pulled out was a red gi with white trim, with long, very loose sleeves, a couple of white and black eclipse circles on it, then a leather vest that was made to be worn by someone slim, but still had a few pockets, then was a black pair of hakama, which had one white circle near the outer facing side of the hem. The gi caught his attention.

"Interesting…." He trailed off. 

"Something wrong?" Sakura asked.

"Other than the lack of undergarments, not really," he answered. "But the symbol on the sleeve is very curious to find outside of the land of Wildfires." 

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, confused. "The eclipse is actually a very popular symbol apparently."

"It's not that… look closer. There's something else, what looks like the symbol for infinite, but with a dragon's head on the symbol, right in the center of the symbol," Kemurido pointed out. "It's my clan's emblem, or would be if the whites of it were woven with silver thread instead. It's interesting because my clan is exclusive to Kazangakure, and to find someone, let alone start dating someone, in Konohagakure, who happens to have something with my clan's emblem on it… well, that's a heavy coincidence…"

"I just… kinda found it, was drawn to it, thinking Sasuke would like it," she explained. 

"Well, I like it," he said. "I don't like not having a cloak though…"

"There's a black one in the wardrobe," she said, remembering that she still had her white one from her last mission in her closet. "But can't you go without it for a day?"

"For today, sure, but once I leave Konoha…" Kemurido explained before Ino bursted in on the two. 

"What're you two doing?" Ino asked suddenly, very seriously, then smiling. "I'm just kidding you two…. Sakura, is something wrong?"

Sakura looked like she just got shot with an arrow.

"You're leaving Konoha?" She asked a small tear at the corner of her eye.

"I'm not a ninja from this village, Sakura, but I'll be back," he explained. "Part of the treaty Lady Nouhime has proposed would have core members of our ranks act as liaisons to the other villages, and I've already been given the opportunity to choose which one I wish to be liaison for."

"Don't scare me like that, you jerk!" She yelled at him. He braced himself, readying himself to get hit, but the punch never came. 

"I'm going to head out now," Ino said, drawing a large circle with her index fingertips and her arm movements, before pointing down the hall.

"We'll see you later, Ino," Kemurido replied.

"Yeah, later," Sakura mumbled. Ino turned and took her leave. After five minutes of silence other than Ino's footsteps, the front door opened and closed. Sakura finally spoke up. "You had me worried." Sakura half whispered. 

"That I would leave you alone for a long time period?" Kemurido asked, then sighed. "Look, I don't know whether I told you, but Lady Nouh is in bad health. She's not getting any better, and she's mainly doing this because she wants to help make the transition easier for me."

"What transition?" Sakura asked, not sure what he was talking about. 

"I'm in line to be the next Kaibunkage, the Tenth Cinder Shadow," Kemurido answered. "So… that complicates this thing we have."

"I could go with you," Sakura suggested. "As a liaison between Konoha and Kazan."

"You could, but doesn't the hospital need you?" Kemurido asked. 

"Tsunade-Baachan can handle it," Sakura answered, knowing that Tsunade would never let her hear the end of it if she had heard what Sakura had just said. 

"If you go, it would be just as a liaison?"

"For now," Sakura answered honestly, before realizing what she had just said. "Wait, I mean…"

Kemurido sighed. "You have friends here, family. Why would you give that up… for… for someone you only just met?"

"It just came out!" She yelled. "It's not like I actually thought about it!"

"Which makes your answer that much more honest," Kemurido said, looking at her. "Maybe… maybe I am a rebound. Maybe you're trying to push what you feel for Sasuke onto me, projecting what he couldn't receive," Kemurido analyzed.

"Please, don't think that," Sakura pleaded.

"I don't want to, but this is happening way too fast," Kemurido pointed out. "This shouldn't be happening this fast." 

"But it is," Sakura whispered. 

"Look, I'm not saying to stop… but let's just slow this down, and I'm going to need you to search yourself," Kemurido said gently. "Don't just eliminate a possibility without looking into it."

"Why is everything philosophy with you?" She sighed. "I thought I was done with that when I became a Jonin." 

"Because, life always has new lessons to teach us," Kemurido answered, before hugging her. "Are we done now?" 

"Yeah, I don't really want to argue," Sakura answered. "But I don't want to be without you either."

"You don't have to be, but sometimes we must give up one thing to cling to another," Kemurido advised her. "Anyways, shower time?"

"Of course," Sakura smiled at him, stretching on her tiptoes to kiss him on the lips. She grabbed her bundle on the bed as he grabbed his clothes that she had handed him, then he looked at her.

"Underpants?" He asked, to which she blushed. 

"O-oh," she stammered blushing, rushing to the wardrobe and quickly fetching a white pair out for him. He nodded, then she took his hand, and led him to the bathroom, sliding his gi off of herself while he undid his jeans. The two of them stripped, back to back, then turned to face each other. 

"Been a while since I've showered with someone else," he said.

"Oh, shut it," she smirked, pushing him into the tub, his agile feet preventing him from tripping into it. She climbed in afterwards before drawing the shower curtain. He found the knob for the water and turned it, making sure it was warm, but not too hot. 

She reached for the soap, and handed it to him, he looked down at it.

"It's soap jackass," she teased, pursing her lips.

"I can see that," he retorted. "But, why hand it to me rather than cleaning yourself first?"

"Because you need it more," she answered. "Unless you can think of another reason I might have handed it to you," she stuck her tongue out, turning around and grabbing the shampoo.

Without any hesitation, he took the soap and rubbed it down her back. She shivered at his touch, not quite used to this. 

"I-I-I was being subjective," Sakura stammered nervously. 

"So?" Kemurido asked. "Doesn't mean I can't choose to clean you first." He made it a point to scrub her back pretty well, letting the soap suds spread, just to be washed away by the water raining down on the two of them. When he finished with her back, he moved up to her neck, massaging the soap into her shoulders and the nape of her neck with his left hand as he scrubbed with his right. 

Then he moved down her chest, firmly spreading the soap and rubbing it into her entire upper body, massaging any soft skin. Then he caresses her midriff, hands drifting left and right, fingers tracing every muscle, and even cleaning Sakura's half-outty navel. 

He moved down to her pelvis, kneeling on one knee as his fingers spread through her every outline, and spread soap to every crevice they could reach. Sakura gasped a little, biting her bottom lip as he cleaned her folds thoroughly for her. 

She had been blushing the whole time, not used to anyone but Tsunade or Shizune ever touching her this much to clean her body, and never this thoroughly. The only person to ever clean her this precisely was herself. A heat separate from the hot water spread through her, but she couldn't imagine trying to push through a repeat performance of their earlier escapades. As soon as he had finished cleaning her nether regions and moved on to cleaning between her buttocks, she squeezed her thighs together.

"I know what this is doing to you," Kemurido said softly. "And I'm sorry. I know I have the stamina to go another round, however you passed out earlier, and I don't want to dirty you again after trying so hard to clean you, and besides that, you would pass out again the moment you came."

"It's fine, I just didn't think I'd ever have someone else cleaning me when I was capable of doing so for myself," Sakura almost whispered. "N-n-n-not that I-I d-don't appreciate i-it." As Kemurido's hands reached her waist again, she sighs.

"I know," Kemurido replied. "Anyways, I'm going to need your legs now."

"Oh, right," Sakura said, turning around, leaning against the shower wall. He started massaging the soap along her thighs, gently, but firmly gripping her leg with one hand, supporting her balance, as he lathered the soap onto her legs with the other. As he got to her feet, he even scrubbed between her toes, then he switched legs and repeated the process. As he finished he set her leg down, the turned to clean himself. 

Sakura found herself lost in thought just staring at his back, noticing the many scars of his that overlapped his vertebrae.

_ 'He shouldn't be able to walk,' _ she thought to herself.  _ 'Too many of those wounds are too deep and in spots that should have crippled him. What is up with him? I understand tenacity, and durability too, but this is something else entirely, and with how old the wounds are, Ryuukantsuu couldn't have saved him… A medical ninja with skill close to Tsunade's, or…? _

"Sakura!" Kemurido poked her forehead with a single finger, bringing her out of her mind. "Hey, I'm done," he said.

"Oh!" She exclaimed.

"Lost in thought?" He asked.

"Yeah," she confirmed. "Who healed all of your wounds? Many of your scars are…"

"My… mother," Kemurido said the word hesitantly, as he stopped the water. The two of them stepped out of the rub and began drying themselves off before he resumed. "She was a very accomplished medical ninja in the village. However, her form of medical ninjutsu was…..well, she wasn't looked upon favorably, and she gave up her health for the sake of healing others, until she had a child, fathered by two men, and vowed to make sure he lived, and was more than capable a warrior. She gave her own flesh to keep me in one piece."

Sakura listened to him speak, impressed by the woman he described as his mother, wondering if she could ever do what his mother had done for him. But one detail didn't quite fit. It bothered her.

"Two fathers?" she asked. 

"Gakitsuki Murin and Gakitsuki Hachigen," he recited the names with distance. "It is unknown the reason, but apparently the two used a Konbi Henge no Jutsu to become one. She became pregnant by both with one egg, and I was conceived. It's the only story that fits. I bare too much of a resemblance to both men, though neither is alive to question about it."

"That's… interesting," Sakura responded, finished drying herself off, and now slipping on panties similar to the ones she had been wearing before. Kemurido also started dressing himself. 

"Yeah, it's whatever. I'm a mutt," he smiled at her. "Anyways, it's just history now. All that's left is to move forward, and to keep honing my skills until no one can ever threaten my people, or my future family, ever again. The duty falls on me to revive my clan, afterall."

"Wait a minute," Sakura said, sliding on a red split-hemmed sundress, with white trim, and numerous white shuriken across its skirt. Then she slid on a small black flak jacket that covered only her ribs and breasts. Then she placed an ornate, black, cotton sash over the lower half of the bodice. Finally, she started fastening a pair of black, fingerless, lace bracer gloves.

Kemurido himself was just fastening the vest to his chest at this point.

"You said you were the product of Konbi Henge?" Sakura asked. "So… what does that mean for… well…?" She placed her hands on her lower midriff.

"IF you get pregnant from that last bit, Ino would be every bit the 'father' as I am," he answered.

"So… I could've been partially impregnated by… a… my best…," Sakura's face turned pale, and she became a bit dizzy. "This is really weird…," she commented.

"Would you rather eliminate the possibility of being pregnant?" Kemurido asked. Sakura shook her head, knowing it was possible. "I guess I'm, kind of, okay with it… It's just a bit to swallow."

"I can understand that," he replied. "Don't sweat it too much, I'll take responsibility either way."

"That's good to know," she nodded. "But in the future could we maybe not do that again?" 

"Sure," he agreed. 

The two of them put the final touches on their outfits before stepping out of the bathroom. 

"So, to the hospital now?" He asked, offering her a hand after taking his first step down the staircase, which she snagged. The two stepped down the stairs single-filed, then to the front door. Sakura reached into the closet to grab herself a fancy sweatshirt, white in color, with pink petals laced across it. As they got their shoes on, they looked at each other. 

"Do you need a sweatshirt?" She asked him.

"I'm alright," he answered. "Kumogakure was pretty damn cold, and I managed, so I think I'll be fine."

"Okay," she said, having finished putting her boots on. 

"Lead the way," he said, having finished doing the same with his tabi. 

The two stepped out onto the Konoha streets, Sakura turning just long enough to lock the door before turning back to him. She wove her arm around his elbow and walked close to him, noticing a dry warmth radiating from him, a contrast to the chilly breeze that had picked up some over the past few hours.

"Are you sick?" She asked as they began to walk.

"No," he answered. "Ryuukantsuu is making it a point to warm me up using his chakra, and channeling Youton in a basic, more supportive manner."

"Oh," she said, nodding her head into his shoulder. She blushed as they started to get closer to the hospital and people started to pass them, glancing in her direction. 

"Don't let it get to you," Kemurido told her gently, in a voice only she could hear. "People are just curious by nature, and I sense surprise in most of them."

"They've never seen me with anyone, and…" she paused. "Many of them were probably of the impression I would end up with Naruto or Sasuke."

"Well, you were their teammate," he said. 

Before they reached the Hospital, they passed a little shop, out from which came a young, curvy lady with dark blue hair, and a young man, athletic looking man with red fangs painted on his cheeks and brown hair. He had a white wolf hound following him. Behind them was a hooded young man with black goggles on.

"Oh, h-hi, Sakura," the young lady said to her. 

"Hello Hinata, Kiba, Shino," Sakura responded with a smile, taking a single hand off Kemurido's arm and waving. 

"Who's this guy?" Kiba asked, a long-tailed finger pointed at Kemurido.

"This is Rido," Sakura said. "He's…" Sakura trailed off, not sure where to start and a bit overwhelmed.

"I'm a shinobi from Kazangakure," he introduced himself. "I'm her boyfriend, though she can't quite figure out the words to say. You're a Hyuuga, you smell of dog, and you…. You seem like you're pretty smart."

"Hey!" Kiba yelled. "Of course I smell like dog, I'm an Inuzuka!"

"How c-could you t-tell?" Hinata asked looking away. 

"Your eyes, obviously. The Hyuuga are cousins to the Otsutsuki clan, which is why both clans have the Byakugan," he pointed out. "Plus, you give off the same vibe as Neji."

"Oh," Hinata gasped, blushing and looking away.

"They're related to that clan too?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, so in a old fashioned sense you could consider her clan and mine to be cousins, almost," Kemurido answered his girlfriend. 

"What happened to liking Sasuke?" Kiba asked Sakura, she was going to drop her eyes when Kemurido stepped forward. 

"Please, give her time before you ask that," he requested. "She's still searching herself, but as far as she knows, she liked him, yes, but with his prolonged absence, as I've been told, she was left with just longing and very little return. Shs made the decision to be with me to try to move past what she felt for him."

"So you're the rebound guy?" Kiba chuckled. "Eh, fuck it. I can roll with it. Anyways, are you strong? Bet I could give you a run for your money in a sparring match."

"I'm in line to be the next Kaibunkage of Kazangakure," Kemurido answered his question. "So unless you insist, I'd advise you let this go."

"Why, I….!" Kiba started yelling.

"Quiet down," Shino said quietly. "He's right. You'd just lose."

"If Shino says it, he must have a reason," Hinata said, scratching her nose.

"My insects detect traces of all five chakra types having been used by him," Shino explained. "And that he's the same as Naruto."

"I'm a Ryujin," Kemurido followed up.

"Which is something like a Jinchuuriki, right?" Shino stood four feet from him now. "How many formidable opponents have you fought?"

"Too many," Kemurido said honestly. 

"I think a more interesting sparring match for anyone involved would be between he and Sakura, or even Sasuke," Shino said before turning away. "But that won't happen.

"Shino?" Hinata asked.

"Well, nice meeting you," Kiba extended a hand, which Kemurido returned before shaking it. 

"Likewise," Kemurido responded. 

"Maybe another time on the sparring," Kiba suggested, starting to turn and walk away. "Kurenai-taichou is expecting us at her residence."

"Tell her I said 'hi'," Sakura requested, petting Akamaru as he brushed against her legs. 

"Will do," Hinata said softly, before following Kiba. Shino once again brought up the rear. 

"Shino's kind of an interesting person, eh?" Kemurido said, as Sakura started walking again.

"I don't know about that," Sakura smiled weakly. "He's always given me goosebumps." 

"Don't like bugs?" He asked her, which prompted her to look at him. 

"It's not that," she answered.

"Actually, most likely it is," he responded. "I could tell by looking at him, but most of his bodies nonessential lipids and other flesh has been eaten away by those bugs. His body is essentially a mobile hive for them, the idea of which would unnerve anyone, because all it makes you think of is how painful it must've been for it to develop that far."

"You've made it worse," she cringed, baring her teeth in disgust. 

"I just brought a thought you had subconsciously considered to the surface, is all," he responded. 

"Yeah, well, thanks for that," Sakura glared.

"You're welcome!" He smiled. 

The hospital lay just ahead. Now he could get some of the answers he wanted, but he would have to walk a certain line to avoid to avoid his intentions being made obvious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: another chapter complete, guys. I originally intended to dig far enough in that we could at least see Obito before this chapter ended, but I don't want to force it too much. I will be starting the next chapter as soon as possible.   
> Next time we have answers, drama, mental trauma, flutes and fauna, and whatever this rhyme thing I'm doing never happening again. *cringe*  
> N2: I use google translate to try to give the names of the chapters a proper translation, and if I've messed up at some point, I'd like to be informed for editing purposes. Japanese is not my native language, and I'm only picking it up little by little, but i name the chapters that way for an organic feel.]


	9. Chapter 8: Fuku to E no Michi (Path to Revenge)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: this one took me a wee bit of thought to figure out how to start. Please forgive my procrastination, and let's get into it…]

The hospital was mostly quiet. Very few patients were waiting to be seen, and this was one of the rare days that a random child hadn't been brought in for a play related injury. Sakura easily coasted through the lobby, making her way to a hallway, Kemurido in tow. He followed quietly, quickly taking in the surroundings as they flew by. 

It wasn't long until the two were heading down stairs into the basement area. She punched a code into a panel next to a door, which gave off a beeping as she pulled on it, opening with ease. The two walked down a long hall, but their destination was close, as she entered a room with a glass window three doors down the hall on the left. 

The room resembled a living room, and in the back was a door to another smaller room with a bed on it. Sitting at the table was a man about Kakashi's age, with equally white hair, but cut short. He had a blindfold wrapped around his head, hiding his eyes. He wore a simple white gi and hakama, and half of his face seemed like it had aged twenty years ahead of the other half.

"Sakura?" He asked as the two enters the room. "And, one other?" He asked, bringing his head towards the two.

"Yes. I'm with my… comrade… Gakitsuki Kemurido," Sakurs told him.

"You could just be honest and tell the man that we're dating," Kemurido told her sarcastically.

"Oh, so you started dating someone?" Obito asked, surprised. "That's different for the workaholic."

"Will the two of you please lay off?" Sakura asked, lowering her head. "Obito, how are you feeling?"

"My sight still hasn't returned," he said. "I told you it probably wouldn't. It's the cost of using Izanagi."

"'To change the reality to the dream, one's own light must be lost, so that he can never see the difference between the two ever again,' right?" Kemurido asked him.

"You brought someone informed?" Obito asked, surprised.

"I'm familiar with how the Sharingan works, and it's many ins and outs," Kemurido stated. "My clan is something of a cousin to yours."

"Gakitsuki, you said?" Obito asked monotonously. "Madara wanted to wipe your clan from the face of the earth, but we could never get close."

"Storms circling the island right?" Kemurido asked.

"Yes," Obito confirmed.

"Happens alot," Kemurido said. 

"Obito, Tsunade-Baachan and I are both still going to try to restore your eyesight," Sakura promised. "We will not stop until we have."

"It's a lost cause," he said. "This is my punishment for helping Madara revive Kaguya."

"The only way to reverse this depends on whether he achieved the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan or not," Kemurido said. "If he has, it's no longer possible. If he hasn't, well, you take his brother's eyes, and give them to him, which will restore his light."

"I don't have a brother," Obito said. 

"I'm still going to find a solution," Sakura said. 

"It's hopeless," Obito reasserted.

"Never lose hope," Sakura said, removing his bandages. She cleaned dried blood from around the lids, then inspected the murky eyes which didn't react to her flashlight. 

"You're stubborn," he said. 

"Never has a case been reported of blindness being cured in someone who used Izanagi, but had no brother," Kemurido recited. "So, why did you use it?"

"Because if I didn't, Kakashi and I would have both died. I once was so proud of my sight, but it was only fitting that I lose it to save the two of us," he recalled what had happened as Kaguya had attempted to kill he and I with Tomogoroshi no Haikotsu. Izanagi was the only way for both of us to live."

"However, this guy didn't have enough chakra to use it, and almost ended up dying anyways," Sakura said. "I provided some of my own, whilst healing him. He's alive because of me."

"Because she wouldn't give up," Obito said. "She truly reminds me of someone that was precious to me," Obito said softly.

"Nouhara Rin. Your team's Kunoichi, and field medic," Kemurido said, staring at the man. "Who had feelings for Kakashi, yet he impaled her with his Raikiri… by accident of course."

"I know," Obito started crying red tears.

"Shut up, Rido, or you'll be crying bloody tears," Sakura shouted, tending to the new blood.

"Yes, honey," Kemurido acknowledge her words and turned away. 

Sakura finished cleaning the blood until the tears stopped, then began tending to him with a series of tests, before giving him some medicine and helping him to his bedroom.

"Shizune should be down momentarily to give you something to ear and to keep you company. Until then, think a little bit, and try to consider whether there is anything you may not have thought of," Sakura pleaded.

"I will try, but it's not going to help much," Obito responded.

"You never know," Sakura told him. "Please, have hope, and stop being so hard on yourself."

"I… I can try," he said, pausing with a sigh between his words. 

Sakura walked back out of the bedroom into the living room.

"That's one down," she said, grabbing Kemurido by the arm before hauling him into the hall, then slamming him against the steel wall. "Do you enjoy causing others pain?"

"I wasn't trying to cause him pain, Sakura," he said. "I was trying to help him deal with something from his past, and relate to him. Sometimes knowing that someone knows what's going on in your head can help you deal with it."

"Yeah, but in the meantime, he loses blood everytime he cries. He's anemic," Sakura rebutted. 

"If you don't deal with the emotional damage that makes him want to hurt himself, you will never get any answers about how to treat his physiological condition from him," Kemurido responded. "Or did you miss the scrapes, mostly from fingernails, and bite marks on his arms, or bruises on his sternum? He's self harming."

"Oh," Sakura gasped, ashamed for not realizing it. 

"You're distracted," Kemurido said. 

"Not… not really," she said. 

"You never noticed it before? You were distracted," he countered.

"I was not!" She said.

"Then what? Didn't care?" He asked.

"I…" she paused. Maybe he was right about her being distracted.

"He's an Uchiha, and that reminded you of Sasuke," Kemurido analyzed. "You were lost in thought while observing him before, but today it was your short-sighted frustration with me that kept you from bothering to check that."

She didn't respond, instead just standing there for a moment. Kemurido loosened up and hugged her. 

"Look, I'm not trying to badger you, but the fact remains that you never took notice of something that my eyes caught walking into the room," he said. "I apologize if you think I was being rude. It was not my intention, but I do have to be a bit firm when pointing out what you noticed. If I don't, my advice won't stick with you."

"I'm sorry too," she spoke up. "I was a bit rough with how I handled you." 

"Forget about it," he said, kissing her on the forehead. "Let's go see the other patient you came for."

"Yeah," she smiled. "That's a good idea."

She closed the door to Obito's room, the door closing with a click to tell that it was locked. She then led Kemurido down the hall. 

"Juugo's room is a bit different. We actually have to keep a Doton user near the entry," Sakura explained. "Otherwise, there is no entry, and no way out. The vents are too small for him, and the walls too thick. It's configured completely the way he, in his calm mind, had requested us to make it."

"Which makes it sound like a prison cell," Kemurido retorted.

"He's the one that wanted it that way," Sakura reminded him.

"I'm not saying I don't understand, but the feeling of being trapped would only agitate his more volatile side even more," he explained.

"Good for us, then, that the volatile side is so consumed by rage that he can't strategize how to get out," Sakura said, approaching a lone ninja station next to a rock wall. She nodded.

"You may want to rethink that," he said back to her. "He's in one of those states right now."

Kemurido closed his eyes for a moment, then reopened them, his eyes glowing red, "Just do it," he demanded. 

"We've got this handled," Sakura said, triggering her Hyakugou. The ninja put his hands on the wall, and as the rocks lowered, a grey, scaled, and fluted fist shot though, Sakura knocking the ninja stationed at the wall aside, and taking the hit that sent her into the cell across the hall. Juugo looked from her to Kemurido, who stared back with his eyes. A few moments passed with neither moving an inch, then Juugo's hand came to his skull, gripping it as the scales receded, and his skin returned to normal. 

"Those… eyes," he asked, confused, then shook himself. "Thank you." He bowed. 

"You're a member of the Norowareta tribe…" Kemurido stated. "Your clan is native to the Land of Tea, but as the island's secluded regions became scarce, your people left for the mainland, seeking to avoid contact with others. In the mainland they were sought after, and treated like animals, only let loose on the eve of a battle, hoping to gain an advantage against the enemy of the ones who had captured you. Your clan was presumed to be extinguished 8 years ago, yet you live."

"Is that the name of his family?" Sakura said, climbing through the hole she'd been knocked through, the only signs of damage being her bracers, which each had a tear through them, and her vest, which had scuffs down the back of it. 

"Does that mean you could help me?" He asked. 

"I know of a solution to your problem, but it requires political favors being exchanged," he answered. "Fortunately I have a meeting with the Hokage in the morning, so I could arrange for the fix that would work as a treatment," Kemurido suggested. "I will mention it to him. You're going to need to be treated constantly though and it requires a particular weapon to do so."

"Wait, so you know what causes his rages?" Sakura asked him.

"He naturally absorbs natural energy, which, in his clan, can cause a transformation that directly affects his mental state," Kemurido said. "The only fix is to either expel that chakra manually, or to carry a tool that would automatically expel the chakra. His clan had a moniker in Kazan. The 'Jaasen'. Sages cursed by their own blood to follow a path of darkness."

"You said a tool that automatically expels chakra?" Juugo asked quietly. "Would one that absorbs chakra work?"

"Yes," Kemurido confirms. "Have one in mind? Perhaps one that I'm aware of in Kumogakure?"

"Samehada," Jugo confirms. 

"So, as I've said, I'll see to arrangements being made," Kemurido promised.

"What can I do to repay you?" Jugo asked. "Anything."

"Do you know where Uchiha Sasuke is?" He asked. Juugo's eyes widened.

"Why do you want to know?" Juugo asked cautiously. 

"He may have information about the man who massacred my clan," Kemurido explained, again. 

"Last time I heard from him, he was heading to Amegakure. That was last week," Juugo answered. 

"I must've passed him without noticing on my way from Iwagakure," Kemurido noted. "Thank you," he bowed. 

"How are you feeling right now, Juugo-san?" Sakura asked. 

"I'm at peace," Juugo said, walking back through to his room. "You should put the wall back up for now."

"Oh, okay," Sakura grimaced. He was always like this, and she wished he'd stop being so distant, but she understood. He didn't open up easily because he knew that in one of his rages he could end up killing them. Sasuke had been an exception. 

The ninja on duty made a few hand signals before placing two palms flat on the floor. "Doton: Mie no Doryuheki," he said. The sound of three slabs of moving dirt could be heard, and the movements felt as the wall replaced itself. 

"Thank you….. Doruma," Sakura said weakly. 

"No problem, Sakura-Hime," he said, bowing to her. 

"None of that," she said, waving him off. He nodded and returned to his post. Sakura turned away from him, and walked past Kemurido, who turned to follow. 

"We have two more things I want to do while we're here, and one of them I have to do by myself," she told him.

"Confidentiality?" He asked her.

"Correct," she answered. "And…. The patient has a hard time trusting men these days. She's…. Kinda grown distant because of how men treated her during the war."

He nodded. "That's sad, but unfortunately, war always is." His eyes were shaded. "Civil wars are the worst… People killing their clansmen, their neighbors, their friends. It's just…. But that is the world we live in."

"You sound like maybe you need therapy," Sakura teased, as they reached the end of the hall. She quickly punched in the code before opening the door. 

"Best therapy I could have is being with you," he said, pulling on her arm the moment he was through the door, making her twirl into his arms where he embraced her. He smiled over her shoulder, while she breathed in the scent of his hair, like a mix of bamboo, sage, cumin, and mango. It caught her off guard how those particular scents would blend together, but she didn't mind, holding him tightly. No sooner than their embrace had they let each other go, Sakura pulling him along as they ascended the stairs, this time heading towards the east wing. 

She leads halfway down the central hall of the east wing before taking a left turn, then a right, before coming to a windowless door.

"Here we are," she said, looking back at him. "I shouldn't be too long. Please, feel free to find a seat somewhere." 

"Okay, Sakura," Kemurido said, walking away. 

Sakura opened the door to look at her visitor, a lady, probably six years older than herself, with purple hair pulled back into a spiky ponytail, a fishnet t shirt hidden under two layers of long sleeve shirts, and jeans in place of the miniskirt and shin guards she used to wear. 

'Mitarashi Anko," Sakura said sitting down. "How are you feeling today?"

"A little better, I guess," she said, her head down. 

"Still bringing the dango?" Sakura asked. 

"No, I cut it out," Anko sighed. "Hasn't been the same."

"Because a man serves it?" Sakura asked.

"N-no," she answered in a very flustered tone, then pauses for a second. "Yes."

"Healthy habit change, but for an unhealthy reason," Sakura said. "No sex life changes, I presume?"

"You usually stutter through that question," Anko said, thinking aloud as she looked up. "You're  _ finally _ sleeping with someone!"

"That's…. Not really your business, nor is it why we're here," Sakura blushed. 

"You're right, no sex life changes… for me," Anko smirks. "Who's the lucky guy? I bet it's that emo looking kid from your squad."

"No… it's not… can we please just talk about you?" Sakura asked politely.

"On one condition; what's his name?" Anko bargained.

Sakura sighed. "Gakitsuki Kemurido," she answered. "He's a liaison from Kazangakure."

"You'll have to introduce me sometime," Anko smiled. 

"What about your thing about me?" Sakura asked her. 

"If he's as amazing as he must be, to have pulled your eyes off of the emo, then I'm sure he'll be an exception," Anko smirked, a wide grin crossing her face. 

"I'm sorry, but the implication there leads me to believe that either you still need help, or you never really did," Sakura shook her head. "For the time being, we'll keep you coming for therapy, but it'll be someone else examining you. Please, excuse me," Sakura bowed, standing up. 

"But I'm not faking it!" Anko screams. "I just…. Maybe getting some action will set me right."

"I don't honestly believe that what you suggested will help your condition," Sakura snipped at her. "If you wish to test it, I could always ask Naruto to go over to your place. I'm sure he'd have no qualms with that. As far as anyone in the village could tell you, he's a virgin, after all, and there were loads of rumors about you during our Chunin Exams."

"Are you calling me a whore?" Anko asked, a bit irritated.

"If the shoe fits," Sakura said. "Don't get me wrong. Sex is amazing, as I can now say that my eyes have been opened to that fact. I can't shame you if you enjoyed it or not, but trauma from the war has robbed you of that enjoyment. So the question remains, do I send Naruto to your place tomorrow, let's say, around noon, or do I chalk this up to looking for attention?"

"For fuck's sake. You really think I want that blond loudmouth?" Anko asked, leaning back.

"If you want to meet my boyfriend, I'm okay with it, but he won't fuck you," Sakura glared at her. "Naruto, on the other hand, has enough stamina, he could probably keep you up all night if he wanted."

"Fine, send the little punk over, and have him bring some mitarashi dango from Teuchi's place," Anko relented. 

"Will do," Sakura said. "And Shizune will see you next week."

"You were serious about that?" Anko asked, perturbed. "Fuck, that…."

Anko was cut off as the door closed behind Sakura, who made her way back to the central hallway, where she found Kemurido doing some leg stretches.

"Oh, you're done already?" He asked. 

"Yes," she answered, picking up her pace as she came to his side. "Patient was being a little difficult. Shizune's problem now though, and possibly Naruto's."

"Uh-oh. What's the issue?" Kemurido asked.

"She wanted to meet you," Sakura expressed.

"What's wrong with that?" He asked confused as she started to lead him back to the main lobby. 

"Her intentions weren't the purest," Sakura stressed. 

"Oh, well… that's… understandable now," Kemurido replied. "Considering you said she wasn't keen on men."

"Exactly," Sakura smiled. "Anyways, now to go meet with Tsunade-Baachan."

"Oh, well that's a pleasant surprise," Kemurido said, looking forward, trailing behind her by two paces. 

"Flirt with her, and your balls will be in Sunagakure a week early," Sakura scowled at him.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Kemurido retorted, a look of being deeply offended on his face. 

"Good," she sighed. As they entered the lobby, the took the left down the same hall they went down to get to the basement, except this time, they ascended the stairs, and made their way to the top. 

"I doubt she'd respond to flirting anyways," Sakura said. "She's in her fifties after all, and lost someone dear to her a couple years back."

"The Toad Sage, Jiraiya," Kemurido said.

"Ye-yeah," she stuttered, still surprised of how well informed he was. "Why are you so well informed?" She asked him.

"I do my homework whenever I'm on the job," Kemurido replied. "It's always good to be informed of any contingency you may use before you walk into a situation."

"You make it sound like you had a mission here," Sakura said. "Obviously other than meeting with the Hokage."

"That's enough of a job that I'd want to be informed," he said. "Besides, I have to find Sasuke to find my clan's murderer."

"You do have a point," Sakura said, squinting her eyes. 

They reached the top of the stairs and proceeded down a small hallway to the first and only door on the right, the director's office, where Sakura knocked three times.

"Enter," a woman's voice yelled.

Sakura pushed the door open and the two entered. As he got to the center of the room Kemurido kneeled down to bow. Sakura looked at him, having not expected him to do that.

"I appreciate the manners young man, but that's hardly necessary," a pink faced lady with blond hair, orange-brown eyes, and a purple diamond on her forehead chuckled, waving her hand at him. "C'mon, stand up, hic."

He merely looked up. "Not every day you meet one of the Sannin," he said.

"I'm flattered, now stand up," she said. 

Kemurido did as ordered, holding his left hand out for Sakura, who swatted it. 

"Tsunade-Baachan," Sakura said. "I've come to report a couple of things."

"First, why don't you stop being rude and introduce your boyfriend?" Tsunade countered.

Sakura's eye widened and her face went red. "Who says he's my boyfriend!?" She asked in a panic. 

"Sakura-tan," Kemurido said, disappointment lingering in his tone. "Honey, just be honest…. How did you know?" He asked as he turned to Tsunade.

"Ms. Workaholic here wouldn't just bring a man up here with her unless either you were a client, or important to her. If you were a client, she'd have just paged me to have me come down," Tsunade explained her reasoning. 

"My name is Gakitsuki Kemurido, I sometimes go as Murido or just Rido. Some people here in Konoha even know me by my ANBU moniker, Shiroryu, " he explained. "I'm a liaison from Kazangakure."

"Your name told me as such, Murido-Dono," she smirked. "Anyways, Sakura?"

"Firstly, Obito is showing no sign of recovery, and has even descended to the point of self harm," Sakura started off. "Rido has proposed a potential treatment for Juugo-San, which will require transfer of him to Kumogakure. Anko will be seen by Shizune from now on, but I'm apparently sending Naruto to her place tomorrow, if he's up for it."

"Oh, geez," Tsunade sighed. "We'll get Zakama to see to Obito, taking up residence in there with him so he has a sense of companionship. As for Juugo, I'll assume he will be talking to Kakashi about it, so I'll have to be present for that meeting, which is?"

"10AM tomorrow," Kemurido answered. 

"Great, just early enough for me to still have a hangover," Tsunade grumbled. "Anyways, as for Anko, I'll handle Naruto. And why you're passing her off to Shizune is beyond me."

"Mostly because I don't feel comfortable with her trying to get into my boyfriend's pants."

"Wait….  _ WHAT?! _ " Kemurido just about yelled. "But, I've never…"

"She based it off of my change in before and  _ assumed  _ that you must be amazing," Sakura rolled her eyes.

" _ Assumed? _ " He asked. "So you didn't think so?"

"Leave it at home, please," Tsunade requested with a sigh. "Anyways, is that all?"

"No," Sakura swallowed hard. "I… I would like to request some time to take care of a matter on his behalf."

"Oh?" Tsunade paused. "And what is that?"

Kemurido looked at her perplexed, then as Sakura glanced at him he suddenly understood. 

"She's asking to come to Kazangakure with me once I've met with the Godaime Kazekage. My aunt, the Kyuudaime Kaibunkage is ailing, and if she passes away, I'm going to be her successor. I think Sakura's trying to make it so she doesn't need to choose between me and her home."

"Is that so, Sakura?" Tsunade asked.

"Y-yes," she stammered.

"Granted. Just report in, directly to me, before you take off," Tsunade said. "Now I trust that handles -hic- all of your business here?"

"Yes, it does," Sakura bowed.

"Then you may leave," Tsunade said. Kemurido took Sakura's hand and walked her out of the room where her legs happened to give out beneath her. 

"I'm sorry. I just need a moment," Sakura said.

"Take your time," he replied. "We're not in a rush…. Are we?"

"Shut up, okay?" Sakura said jokingly. She giggled, until Kemurido lifted her up, and carried her to the stairs, when she motioned to be let down. The two descended the staircase and left the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Thank you all for reading. This chapter was a bit of a slugfest to get through. I've been having bad headaches and have been very tired the last few days, so progress has been slow. I admit that some of the writing may be a bit sloppy in comparison to prior chapters, but I hope it still worked out for everyone. Anyways, please check back in a few days, and I'll have another chapter out.]


	10. Chapter 9: Ha To Hai No Shototsu (Clash of Leaf and Ash.)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a visit to the hospital and a talk with Tsunade, the two set off into the village, heading nowhere in particular.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: I've been having some issues at home that have been affecting my mental state. I've been trying to figure out what I'm doing with this chapter, and I'm sorry it took a couple extra days. I'll try not to make this a trend.]

As Kemurido and Sakura left the hospital, the two just walked in silence for a bit. Sakura was seemingly lost in thought, as her legs led the way on their own. The breeze from earlier started to pick up, and leaves were getting pushed against buildings and walls. Tree branches creaked and swayed overhead. The silence between the two was broken when Kemurido placed a hand on her lower back.

"W-what!?" She asked, suddenly surfacing from her mind.

"You've got something on your mind," he said. "And your heart reeks of concern. Would you care to share?" 

"Are you… were you an only child?" Sakura asked, picking her words carefully.

"For a few years, yes… then I was an orphan even before my clan was massacred…." Kemurido answered. "Kirichou, who was a child with my mother's first husband, died during the attack on Konoha six years ago… His body was found crispier than burnt rangoon…"

"What exactly happened?" Sakura asked.

"He was a member of Hiruzen's personal guard," he explained. "When the Sound Four appeared, they put up a barrier, Ninpo: Shishienjin, and he jumped into it… the rest…. Well….."

"I'm sorry," Sakura said.

"My mother was never the same afterwards, drowning herself in sake," he explained. "I was being raised the way I was to be his shield and spear, but to have lost him broke her. She ended up committing seppuku when I was fourteen… the day after I became a Jonin…"

"That's…. Awful…" Sakura said with a pained grimace on her face. "Hearing that, I can only imagine how much pain you were in. I wish I could take it all away, onto myself…"

"No, you don't," Kemurido smiled. "I'd still feel it, remember?" 

"Oh…. Right?" Sakura clenched her fist. "I just…"

"I get the sentiment, darling," Kemurido chuckled. "And I appreciate it. However, Sakura, I'm more than capable of handling it. I'm actually pretty resilient, if you couldn't tell. A shinobi has to be…"

"So,... anyways…" Sakura started trying to think of a way to change the subject. "So… um…. How strong exactly are you?" She asked. 

"You should know that's not an easy question to answer," Kemurido explained. "I'm fast. You may have heard Kakashi's tail of splitting a lightning bolt with his Raikiri?"

Sakura nodded, "Yeah. I remember."

"I've cut two on the same lunge," he explained. "Chidori is the one technique Kakashi taught me before he left ANBU for good and became a Jonin full time. He only partook in ANBU missions once in a while during the time I was active, but the one that I managed to crew with him on, he figured out I was a storm type, and figured I could use this technique. It's where he drew the difference between his Raikiri and the Chidori, which, as of that moment… I was the first inheritor of…. I mean, I think..."

"What is the difference?" Sakura asked.

"Raikiri envelops the hand whole, turning the hand into, more or less a surgical blade," Kemurido held his right hand up, and did some hand signals with his left, the lightning starting to pour out around his right, which was now barely visible underneath the bright lightning surrounding it. He clenched his fist and stopped the chakra flow. "Chidori, on the other hand, is held in the hand, like a ball. Mine is more like three, for now, but, it's less like a blade. I only cut through the lightning bolts I did because my accuracy was spot on…." 

Kemurido made six hand signals before holding out his right hand again, this time three spheres of light appeared in his palm, starting to spin around, and lightning started crackling out of it, as the balls seemed to grind against one another. "Raikiri is more advanced… I guess… but because of that, it doesn't leave too much more room for it's development."

"Wait… so you know both?" Sakura asked.

"I taught myself to use Raikiri," Kemurido answered. "From watching him use it, and then trial and error to move from Chidori to Raikiri. Though, I have something different."

"What's that?" Sakura asked.

"That's a sercet," Kemurido winks. 

"So… you're fast, and smart is what I've gathered from this so far," Sakura pointed out.

"Yes, as for actual strength, that remains to be seen, and hopefully, it doesn't have to be seen," Kemurido countered.

"A blade collecting dust dulls over time," Sakura recited to him. 

"Are you provoking me?" Kemurido asked with him right eyebrow raised.

"Maybe," Sakura teased, sticking out her tongue. "I would like to know how strong you are exactly."

"What reason do I really have for sparring with you?" Kemurido asked.

"Hmmm, if you win, I'll teach you any two techniques I know, provided you have the right affinity for them," Sakura grinned. "But in return, if I win, you show me your secret technique."

"You realize you have a serious advantage here?" Kemurido asked her. "My swords are back at your place, and I'm not sure I want to use my Ninjutsu against you like that…" Kemurido paused. "However, one of the two skills you have that I'd like to learn, is something I already have an idea about how you do it…" 

"Oh yeah, and what is that?" Sakura asked.

"Your punches," he answered. "I imagine you focus chakra to a point on your hands to be released on impact. The more chakra built up, the more devastating the impact."

"That's one way to do it…," Sakura says. "I actually rifle the chakra I need to my hands as I know I'll need it, then release the chakra on impact. More efficient than constantly building up chakra that will all be gone in a single blow."

"So how about this," Kemurido smirked. "One blow decides the winner, however, the hit _has_ to be a chakra enhanced punch, and has to be a good hit. Grazes, or deflected hits will not count, nor will shots to the arms or legs. It has to be a body shot."

"I think that's more than fair," Kakashi said, coming up behind them. "You'll need a mediator for this, so let that be me."

"Don't you have paperwork?" Sakura glared.

"Unlike my predecessor, I keep up on the paperwork," Kakashi retorted. "Tsunade-Baachan can't say the same."

"Neither could Hiruzen-Jiisan," Kemurido added. "He was a bit lax in that area. Or so Kurotora had told me."

"Kurotora?" Sakura asked.

"His brothers codename," Kakashi pointed out. 

"I would've thought Kemurido's codename came from the white dragon he summons," Sakura scratched her chin with a single finger.

"It did," Kemurido confirmed. "Kirichou could summon a blue dragon and a black tiger, so they went with Kurotora instead of Aoryu or Sieiryu."

"Anyways, how do you guys feel about doing this at our old training grounds?" Kakashi asked them. "They were refurbished recently."

"Works for me," Kemurido shrugged.

"Same here," Sakura smirked, pulling at her vest to pull out a pair of leather gloves, which she pulled on over her other fingerless gloves and bracer combo. 

"If he wins, I'm adding something," Kakashi stated. "Any conditions that Kazangakure has in its alliance proposition will be accepted. Just to keep the pressure on."

"And if I lose?" Kemurido asked.

"Then I will be petitioning for you to become a shinobi of Konoha, in return for our compliance," Kakashi suggested. "Just, if we're keeping this fair."

"Pressure's really on, huh?" Kemurido asked. "What goes in this bout?"

"I didn't think about that, really," Sakura wags her hand a little.

"Doujutsu and augmenting ninjutsu are fair game. Taijutsu is your main focus. The only offensive ninjutsu you may use is anything that is connected to your hands or legs. And this bout is going to be recorded, for review of your abilities, respectively," Kakashi stated. "Sakura, be advised, your performance here could earn you that Jonin position that you've been waiting for."

Sakura nodded, determined, pulling out a hairband from her pocket, and putting her hair into a single ponytail. Kakashi led the group to the old training ground. 

"And cameras rolling," he said, one hand to his ear.

"You said, 'any localised ninjutsu,' right?" Kemurido asked once more.

"Anything that is exclusively an extension of yourself," Kakashi said.

"Well, Sakura-tan, let's make this fun," Kemurido said turning to her, taking up a stance. His right arm came forward and down from its shoulder, bending at a 90° angle at the elbow, and the palm, in line with his right eye faced the sky. His eyes closed as he brought his left arm into line with his chest, bending the elbow at a 90° angle. His left hand was in line with his left arm, the palm facing the ground, where he spread his legs, his feet digging into the dirt.

Sakura, in contrast, just punched her left palm before squatting down. In comparison to Kemurido, she resembled a cheetah, ready to pounce. 

Kakashi raised his right arm, then with a quick movement, swung it downwards. At the same time, Kemurido's eyes shot open, silver disks framed by red, with two black tomoe spinning quickly around the iris which was split by a red slit.

Sakura in the meantime had lunged forward, and as she went to punch Kemurido, he jumped up, putting a hand forward, which landed on her back, and vaulted himself into a handstand, then a front flip. 

"Almost had me!" He teased her, while she looked back in shock. She hadn't expected him to be _that_ agile. She dug her feet into the ground before back flipping towards him, a leg raised above her head, ready to come down on Kemurido. He clenched his fist before making three hand signals. 

_'Rat, Dog, Dragon,'_ He thought to himself before resting his right palm to his sternum.

"*Arashi-Ryu-Ninkai: Bishyamonten!<Storm Dragon Ninja Release: Bishamonten!>" lightning shot through Kemurido's entire body, bypassing his synapses, so as soon as he could think of something, he would move without delay. He considered this a near invincible combo, the ability to read the true thoughts of the enemy, locked in their heart, and then to be able to react as fast as his muscles would allow. As her leg came down he just danced around it, some of the lightning drifting off his shoulders, then kept into the air as her foot hit, the earth trembling around it. 

"Bishyamonten: Tsugi no koi: Tatsumaki Burritsu! (Bishamonten: Next Act: Tornado Blitz!)" Kemurido shouted in air before collecting chakra to his feet and pushing, as he proceeded to jump on air, and then run across it, lightning and wind trailing behind it, as he rushed Sakura. 

He went in for a right hook, which she dodged and attempted to counter with an uppercut. He sidestepped, grabbing her wrist and pulled her to him, chakra gathering in his off hand as he went to strike her in the ribs. 

Sakura twisted around, seeming to defy gravity, and pulled herself into an attempted kick to Kemurido's face, which he diverted by twisting and launching her. Her eyes opened wide as she flew through the air, trying to twist her body so she could touch anything. 

In the meantime he was already on the move, the chakra still built up in his right hand. Three flashes across the space she had flown, and suddenly she was flying towards him, his hand pulled back. She pulled her right fist close to her hip, and as he thrusted his towards her, she pushed hers forward as well, her Byakugou activating. 

He grinned, his skin hardening to scales as his punch hit her left shoulder just a fraction of a second before hers hit his right ribs. Both parties shot back from one another as the sound of breaking bones resounded through the space, then as they hit the ground, they skidded across it for what felt like forever, before coming to a halt, both silent, both breathing heavily. A massive dust cloud settled before either moved, and it was just Kemurido, clutching at the ground before Sakura sat up first.

"Kemurido wins," Kakashi stated. "His fist touched barely before yours, Sakura."

"I figured as such," Sakura moped. "Still, it was a good hit. You have really good chakra control." She grinned, standing up, before stretching in place. 

"And you have really good reflexes for not having any form of Doujutsu," Kemurido complimented her, jumping directly to his feet from his back. The two grinned at each other, their bodies still fine tuning some of the smaller repairs, and realignments of bones.

"So my strength was one of the things you wanted to learn?" Sakura asked. "Seems like if you continued to practice, you could be as devastating as Tsunade in no time."

"I appreciate you saying that," Kemurido smiled softly. "Now, as for the other jutsu."

"Other TWO," Sakura corrected. "I won't let you count something that you taught yourself."

"I told him the same thing when I first taught him Lightning style Ninjutsu," Kakashi said, a deadpan look in his eyes. "He used the jutsu I owed him to learn Chidori. To think he developed a jutsu to augment his speed and mobility like his Bishyamonten… Remind me not to ever double cross Kazangakure."

"I can see why you're often referred to as the fourth Sannin," Sakura said.

"I'm not at that level yet," he laughed. "That was a lie engineered by my older father, Hachigen, to try to pass off his genes as being superior."

"Sounds like a prick," Sakura said. "But your strength does speak for itself."

"He's just modest," Kakashi said, resting a hand on Kemurido's shoulder. 

"Get your hand off of me you closet perv!" Kemurido snapped, pushing him away from him. Kakashi chuckled a little as Sakura looked between the two of them.

"What's this?" Sakura asked.

"Have you ever taken a look at the books he's always reading?" Kemurido asked her, his tone dropping. "The Icha Icha books are all sensitive content, and he reads them in public, even around young children!" A knot stirs in Sakura's forehead. 

" _YOU WERE READING THAT SMUT WHILE TRAINING US!"_ She screams at him, her eye wide with rage. She goes to punch him, but Kemurido grabs her from behind.

"Whoah, that was almost bad there, darling," he sighed, barely able to keep her in place, until he presses his lips to the back of her ear and gives a little peck. "You don't really want to knock out the Hokage, do you?"

Her anger seemed to melt away as he kissed her ear, instead a different, more mellow warmth came over her, and she relaxed, barely noticing when he started massaging her back, which popped a few times as the bones let go of muscle and regrow properly without muscles in the way. 

"Cute," Kakashi said. "Let's hope the two of you last."

"Gee, thanks…" Kemurido said, unimpressed with his wellwishing.

"Tell me, Kakashi-sensei, did you… ever put any of us…"

"Sakura, don't finish that question," Kemurido suggested. Kakashi's eyes widened for a second then closed again. "So, I'll see you tomorrow for treaty signing."

"And some renegotiation of assets," Kemurido suggested. "Like Juugo."

"Oh, so you found somewhere for him?" Kakashi asked the two of them.

"Kumogakure, with Killer Bee…, and Samehada," Kemurido answered. 

"Oh," Kakashi said. "Smart idea." Kakashi started to walk away. "By the way, the tailor's bill for your clothes is on me," he held a hand up as he continued to walk away, disappearing in a whirl of leaves. 

"I hate when he does that," Sakura complained. 

"It doesn't bother me," Kemurido countered. "Shows that he's go style."

Sakura stomach growled, which prompted Kemurido to look at her. "Hungry again?" He asked her.

"Well, it has been a few hours," she answered. 

"Shall we go back to your house?" He asked. 

"No. I actually want to treat you this time," she smiled. 

"Oh yeah?" He asked.

"There's this BBQ place in the village that's supposed to be really good. Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji swear on it," Sakura explained. 

"Ino doesn't strike me as too much for BBQ," Kemurido suggested. 

"It's a thing for the families," Sakura answered. "Their families have a tradition. The children are always raised by a Sarutobi, and the three families are always grouped together. BBQ seems to be common ground between the four families."

"Thanks for educating me on that," Kemurido said. "It helps."

"So, what do you think?" Sakura asked. 

"We can try it," Kemurido sighed.

 _'Ino, are you there?'_ Kemurido thought, trying to reach Ino through the part of her he wasn't sure was still inside of him.

 _'It's still there!?'_ Ino's voice screeched in his head. _'How long is this going to take?'_ She asked.

 _'Are you really complaining? I've left you alone most of the day,'_ Kemurido responded. 

_'Not really. What's up?'_ She asked. 

_'Sakura told me about the family tradition for you and your squad mates. In relevance to a BBQ place, that is,'_ he said to her. 

_'Yeah, me and the boys are there right now with Kurenai-sensei,'_ she thought back. 

Sakura looked at Kemurido at that moment. "I mean, you're hungry too, right?" Sakura asked.

"I've worked up an appetite," Kemurido casually said. 

"Anyways, it's only a few minutes away. Just past the Yamanaka flower shop," Sakura smirked. 

"Don't tell me that you're thinking of racing me there?" he asked her, smirking. 

"No. You're faster, honestly. Then again, I do have the advantage of knowing where I'm going," Sakura grinned.

"This is true, but you don't think it would be simple for me to find out?" He asked. 

"Maybe," she said, then happened to look over. "Guys just came back from training?" Sakura asked, as the three from their trip to the hospital rounded a corner. 

"Yeah, what about you guys?" Kiba asked. "You look a little roughed up."

"Both of them have traces of the others chakra throughout their upper bodies… and recently healed wounds," Shino surveyed. 

"Sakura, y-your clothes are w-worn," Hinata said shyly. 

"So aren't his," Kiba acknowledged. "And earlier they looked brand new."

"Kemurido's a lot faster than I thought," Sakura laughed it off. "And apparently has really good chakra control."

"Wait, you guys actually sparred?" Kiba asked, his eyes widening. 

"They both have about the same amount of recently healed injuries, according to the bugs," Shino assessed again, hoping this time his teammates would acknowledge him.

"Ke-Kemurido-San, are you okay," Hinata asked, looking at him.

"Her punches pack a wallop, but yeah, I'm fine," he smiled. "But I naturally heal most injuries rather quickly."

"You're one to talk," Sakura spat. "That punch surprised me, and I thought Naruto hit hard during training." 

"He actually hits you?" Kemurido asked. 

"I tell him not to hold back, but he refuses to use his ninjutsu or Kyubi Sennin form during training," Sakura said, complaining a little bit. 

"That's because he cares about you and doesn't want to hurt you," Hinata managed to say without stuttering, but was suddenly out of breath upon finishing. 

"Shino's got a good idea of what's going on," Kemurido cut in.

"Oh, sorry Shino," Hinata apologized, realizing she'd been more focused on the couple than her teammate.

"He's always got things figured out," Kiba waved his hand. "That's why I don't always listen. He overexplains everything, and I can't be expected to listen to all of it."

"Maybe he's trying to make sure everyone understands, hm-zetsu," Kemurido countered, his tic slipping out as he got in Kiba's face. "He's trying to be useful, and you choose to let him feel invisible and undervalued for your convenience, -zetsu." He glared at Kiba with eyes that made even Akamaru, trailing two feet behind Kiba, whimper, and back off. Kiba grunted and looked away. 

"Anyways, we were on our way to get some BBQ," Kemurido started.

"Oh, you're in for a treat," Kiba said, grinning. "What do you guys think about that?"

"I-I-I g-guess," Hinata stuttered, smiling with her eyes on the ground. 

"I could use some sustenance," Shino stated.

"Why do ya got to say it like that, all weird like?" Kiba asked him. "'I could use some sustenance' you sound like a damn zombie."

"It's just how I speak," Shino explained. 

"Lay off of him," Kemurido said.

"Ah, fine," Kiba said. "Never really much fun picking on him anyways."

The five continued down the street, the sun setting in the distance, painting the sky warm colors outlined in blue and purple. The wind started to settle, however the temperature dropped. Clouds from the north started to approach. The village started to grow more restless as more people started moving about. 

"So, who won your little sparring match?" Kiba asked. 

"It was a draw," Kemurido answered. "We both hurt each other pretty damn badly."

"Oh, so another round of Kamikaze Sakura, eh?" Kiba asked. "Just like the Chunin exams."

Kemurido kicked Kiba in the spine. "Watch what you say, bub," he says, grimacing.

"Okay, fine. I'm sorry," Kiba said, snapping at him. 

"Kiba, you should r-r-really know b-b-better than to p-p-p-pick on Sakura," Hinata said. 

"How many times have you ended up on her hospital bed because you've been unable to take more than one hit, but still provoked a second," Shino lectured him. 

"A couple dozen," Kiba admitted. "So, maybe you're right, and I'm just too thick headed to let it sink in."

"I think it's more than a maybe," Sakura sneered. "Next time I'll make it a head shot so that I can drill it directly into your skull."

"She doesn't actually mean that," Kemurido said awkwardly. 

"Ah, we know, but she sure does get riled up," Kiba grinned. "I'm kind of jealous of you. You get to have a little bit of fun with her."

"K-Kiba," Hinata blushed. 

"Would you please not talk like that about my girlfriend?" Kemurido requested.

"Wow, so touchy," Kiba said sarcastically. "I guess I can lay off for the newbie."

"How would you feel if _I_ talked that way about _your_ mate? That is how you'd refer to them, right?" Kemurido asked him. Kiba shot a quick, almost unnoticeable, glance at Hinata before looking back at Kemurido. 

"Ya happen to have a point," Kiba said softly. 

"Should we maybe invite Naruto?" Sakura asked, a finger on her chin. 

"We saw him a little while ago heading over to the South East part of the village," Shino said.

"He's probably busy training," Kiba said.

"I wonder…" Sakura said softly, her eyes down, remembering the conversation with Tsunade from earlier. 

"What about Neji and Tenten?" Kiba asked Hinata.

"Neji's supposed to be busy with clan duties today, or so he said earlier when I asked him to train with us," Hinata explained, once again huffing a little when she finished talking. 

"So, it's just the five of us," Kiba stated.

"Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji may be there," Shino assessed. "It is their usual routine."

"Which means Kurenai-sensei may be there with Mirai!" Kiba exclaimed. "Talk about good timing!"

"How rambunctious you are," Kemurido snipped at him. 

The group started to come up on the restaurant. As the four already sitting by the restaurant came into view, Kiba started jumping up and down with energy, and Akamaru ran on ahead, sitting obediently right in front of Kurenai, meanwhile Kiba half ran, half skipped behind him. Hinata's pace picked up too, leaving the two new lovers alone with Shino as the three walked at a casual pace. Kiba was already talking to Kurenai in the distance, and Akamaru licked the baby's forehead once before looking up to Kurenai, who started patting his head. 

Ino came running down past them, Shikamaru strutting slowly behind her. 

"Ri-do!" Ino called out as she rushed down the hill, before lunging, and glomping the foreigner, her shoulder colliding with his throat as he collapses backwards. He barely kept his head from singing back and hitting the cobblestone ground, but the rest of his body felt like hell as his eyes widened.

Sakura gasped looking down at the two of them, as Ino climbed off of him. 

"Why do you have to do that?" Shikamaru asked, lighting a cigarette. "It's almost like he's the new Sasuke."

"He's not Sasuke!" Ino snapped.

"I'm not Sasuke!" Kemurido snapped at the same time.

"Geez, twinsing like that is just weird," Shikamaru says, blowing a puff of grey smoke. Ino helps Kemurido to his feet. 

"Could I get one?" Kemurido asked, politely. 

"You smoke?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Since my mother passed, yes," Kemurido answered. "It was the one vice of hers that I picked up."

"I can feel that," Shikamaru said, tossing a butt to him. 

_'Ryukantsuu?'_ Kemurido asked, holding his middle finger and thumb just under the end.

 _'I guess,'_ the dragon grumbled, lending him fire chakra. Kemurido snapped his fingers, producing a flash flame that instantly lit the cigarette as he breathed in deep. He turns to Ino, and let's out a large smoke ring that loops around her face. 

"Dude's got tricks," Shikamaru groaned as he pulled in another drag, before letting the smoke drift out his nose.

"I did grow up in a volcano," Kemurido said, matching him, but letting the smoke billow only out the edges of his mouth, giving off the aura of an oni, as his eyes seemed to flash with a crimson glint. "Who'd you lose that smoked?"

"My sensei, which is also the father of that child," Shikamaru answered, his eyes narrowing. He puffed again, this time letting out a string of rings. 

"From what I understand, he was a Sarutobi. You're talking about Asuma, since the other is ANBU?" Kemurido asked, a sting showing in his eye as he blows out a ring, then a diamond, then a heart. 

"Yeah," Shikamaru answered. "Knew him?"

"Briefly. I served as ANBU before Hiruzen-Jiisan's passing, so I interacted with him a couple times," Kemurido told the story yet again. "He was a good man. I'm sorry to hear that he passed." 

Ino turned to Kemurido, as Shikamaru clenched his jaw, drawing in a deep puff. Ino threw her arms around Kemurido from behind. 

"Thank you for saying that," she said to him. Chouji slowly made his way down to them, Kiba just beside him. 

"Yeah," Shikamaru said, a small tear forming in his eye. 

"I understand you three were responsible for taking out Ginkaku in the war," Kemurido said, reciting his memory of the information he knew from the war. "That's quite a feat. I'm sure he'd be proud of the three of you."

"I…." Shikamaru hesitated, pinching his eyes shut, then opening them, gently pushing a fist against Kemurido's shoulder. "I appreciate you saying that," he said, smiling. "You don't seem so bad yourself."

"Thank you," Kemurido smiled. "But I'm not that special." 

"Don't be so modest all the time, man!" Kiba just about shouted as he and Chouji joined the conversation. 

"You slow pokes coming?" Chouji asked. 

"That's rich coming from one as undisciplined as yourself," a young man with a bowl cut, round eyelids, and really thick eyebrows stated, teasingly, a young lady with brown hair in two buns by his side. 

"Are you Maito Guy's son or something?" Kemurido asked, very bluntly, looking at Lee, then noticed the fan handle hanging over Tenten's shoulder.

"I am so honored that you would think that, but I am not worthy of being called that!" Rock Lee said very excitedly. 

"Calm down Lee, he's just saying that you look like sensei," Tenten lectured him. 

"Is that the Bashousen?" Kemurido asked. "That would make you Tenten, who slew Kakuzu the Heartless in the 4th Ninja War," Kemurido analyzed. "Keep that treasure close. There's a legend in my nation about what would happen if the six were to fall into the wrong hands."

"Please keep it to yourself," Tenten said, shivering a little. "I don't like the sound of that, and horror stories don't agree with me…"

"Unfortunately, darling, that's reality," Neji said, coming up behind the group. 

"Neji!" Hinata shouted, starting to run downhill.

Neji put a hand on Kemurido's shoulder. 

"You've got a lot of skill, newcomer," he told him. 

"Whatever do you mean?" Kemurido asked, smirking. 

"Your chakra resembled the Doujutsu you were using earlier, but mixed with the Sharingan, plus storm chakra augmenting your entire being, then precise chakra control on top of that, and I saw the impact," Neji said. "The side branch house borders on that training grounds."

Kemurido smiled. "So you saw everything?" A drop of sweat trailed by his left eye. 

"It's astonishing that you are standing right now, since you and Sakura both hit each other hard enough that, if not for her Byakugou, that you'd both be, at best, in a hospital bed for months with shattered bones from your necks to your hips," Neji answered. "You managed to get out of that with just broken ribs, and she with her spine completely intact below her hanging ribs."

"Wait, are you…" Kiba started, then held his head as if confused.

"He's either saying that he hit Sakura harder than he got hit, or he withstood her hit better than she did his," Shino stated.

Kemurido focused, taking a final drag of his cigarette, pulling on Ryuukantsuu's chakra until his entire face was covered with silver scales, and three horns started to grow on his face, then he pushed the chakra back into him, and the scales receded.

"I withstood it because I'm a Ryujin," Kemurido explained. "Ino can explain to you what that means later on, or you can wait for the handbook on it."

"There's going to be a handbook?" Lee asked, confused. 

"He's being sarcastic," Neji sighed. 

"Seriously, Lee," Tenten sighed as well. "Being around Gai and Kakashi as much as you have been, and you still don't understand sarcasm?"

"Lee's just that naive," Sakura said to Tenten. 

"I'll do my best to understand you better in the future," Lee pledged, saluting to them. 

"Good, because I don't think I could actually get Lee to understand the details without actually writing a handbook…" Ino huffed. 

"Are you guys done talking?" Chouji asked impatiently. 

"Yeah, I've been done with my smoke for a moment," Shikamaru asserted.

"I guess we can go, if everyone else is ready," Kemurido agreed.

As he looked around, each person either nodded or gave a thumbs up. As the group started up the hill, the group started getting noisy, but Kemurido couldn't make out a single voice, and as they approached Kurenai ahead, the group got quieter. Then footsteps were heard trudging uphill behind them. Neji looked back. 

"Hi guys!" Naruto smirked, Anko right behind him. 

"Looks like you've got a large group here," Anko smirked. "Go on, be with them." Anko shoved him, before walking a step behind him.

"How are you the one who still has energy, Anko-sensei?" Naruto asked her, complaining. 

"Oh, hush," Anko said. "Remember that this was therapy, okay?"

"Yeah, whatever…. You say…" Naruto said, dragging his arms through the air. 

"Oof," Kemurido exhaled. "Sakura, looks like Anko was right…"

"Tsunade sent him early…." Sakura grumbled, her face flushed blue. 

"Oh, my," Kurenai exclaimed, looking up from Mirai. "It almost looks like everyone is here."

"Everyone?" Kemurido asked. 

"The Konoha twelve from our first chunin exams," Neji explained. 

"The only one not here is Sasuke," Shikamaru said.

"His loss, really," Chouji grabbed a bag of potato chips out of his clothes somewhere and started munching. "Just means more for us."

"Such a fatass," Ino whispered into Kemurido's ear.

"You could afford to, maybe, not be so critical on his weight," Kemurido whispered back. 

"Sure," Ino groaned. 

Naruto and Anko caught up, and the whole group entered the restaurant. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [That's yet another chapter down. This one I honestly struggled with even writing. I dont like writing a dozen characters at a time, but I aim to get better at it. I hope everyone is enjoying this. ^.^  
> Give me a few days, and I hope to have the next up for you all. Any AO3 users are free to comment your thoughts and predictions, in fact, I encourage it.  
> Also, note: Kemurido's technique, Bishamonten, was originally going to be named Takemikazuchi, but I discovered that there is already a jutsu by that name, and didnt want to associate the two...]


	11. Chapter 10: Unmei Ga Karamatta (Fates Tangled)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Alright, back on track, and starting almost instantly after posting that last chapter. sighs. So, this chapter is going to be a bit more eventful, and I pray that you appreciate it.  
> More lemons ahead.]

The twelve young shinobi and their two predecessors just about took up the entire area area the BBQ restaurant. No one else could get clown, and as the orders were taken, the owner was looking back and forth from them to his inventory list. 

More than a few times had he had to ask the person ordering, three times alone for Chouji, to order something different due to a lack of ingredients to serve everyone. The last person to order was Kemurido, who simply ordered the House Special, with "whatever you can substitute in to make up for the lack of ingredients. If it tastes good, that's enough for me, I'm not picky."

The owner had laughed at his order, then smiled and thanked him for being the only one of the bunch to understand his plight.

After his food was served, he went to sit with Sakur, Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji, and Kurenai, who was nursing Mirai whilst nibbling on a dango. Neji, Tenten, Naruto, Lee, and Kiba were across the street with their food, Hinata standing between Naruto and Kiba. Shino just kind of sat by himself by the side of the restaurant, and Anko had sat on a nearby retaining wall that had been put in front of a residential house. The house had a couple of patch boards at its front from the five or six times a wagon had lost its wheel uphill from them, and the wheel had gone through the front. 

"So, you're from which village again?" Chouji asked, moderately glaring at the younger male. 

"Kazangakure," Kemurido answered. It's a small village located in the Land of Wildfires, about halfway to the Land of Tea. 

"So it's an island?" Shikamaru asked. "I had heard of the nation before, and figured that it probably was, but it doesn't really show up on any maps, despite being described as being closer to us than Tea Country." 

"Storms commonly rage around the island, giving a veil, and sending boats around the island without a care. It's an extremely rare phenomenon, and that's why our wind and water release types are as important as our Youton users," Kemurido explained. "Because most current maps have existed since before the second shinobi war, the Land of Wildfires does not exist on them, because it's location is just guess work. That's a matter I plan on solving once all five great villages have agreed on an alliance."

"If I were to pull out a map, would you be able to mark it?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yes," Kemurido answered.

"Of course he would. Do you think he's dumb or something?" Ino snapped at Shikamaru.

Kemurido looked off to the distance as Sakura pointed a finger at Ino. 

"You _do_ know Shikamaru was just asking for the sake of knowing, right, pig?" Sakura asked her, a bit snippy.

"Geeze, I've never seen people so worked up when eating," Chouji thought aloud as the pointing went around. Everyone except Kemurido looked at Chouji, then Shikamaru chuckled a bit. 

"You're right bud," Shikamaru said. "I guess we are too worked up."

Kemurido noticed what looked like a silhouette moving through the trees towards the Hokage's office. He dismissed it as probably just an ANBU tracker ninja coming back from a scouting mission. 

  * •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••



Kakashi was just finishing up the last of his paperwork for the day when he felt a draft come from behind him. He didn't turn around. He knew who it was. It wasn't the first time he had come here like this. 

"Welcome home…. Sasuke," Kakashi said. "So, what have you to report this time?"

"Orochimaru's research into artificial humans is now in it's second phase," he said, a stern note to his voice. "He doesn't know when it will be finished."

"I wasn't asking about Orochimaru, but thanks for that information. I'm sure it'll be of use at some point," Kakashi nodded, slowly turning to him. "Amegakure; what did you find?"

"Nothing at the moment," he said. "Just rumors."

"So you have nothing to report?" Kakashi asked.

"On my way back through the Land of Valleys, I did notice some people who looked a little out of place, but they weren't armed, and their chakra levels didn't seem that impressive," Sasuke explained. "Probably just the recent menagerie of street performers trying to move their equipment."

"I hope so," Kakashi expressed. "It'd be tiring to have something new to deal with. Wouldn't be horrible timing. We're going to have a new ally as of tomorrow."

"Oh yeah?" Sasuke asked. "Is that who the new guy with the others was?"

"Gakitsuki Kemurido, of Kazangakure," Kakashi answered. Sasuke didn't flinch nor show any signs of recognition at his sensei's answer. "So, probably. He's good too. Probably on the same level as Sakura." 

"Is that name supposed to mean something to me?" Sasuke asked. "Anyways, he's awfully close to Sakura and Ino."

"I've noticed that too," Kakashi said, standing up. "Talk going around is Sakura's dating him."

"I didn't expect her to wait for me," Sasuke said with shaded eyes. "It's not like I deserve her anyways with the weight of my sin."

"Still haven't forgiven yourself?" Kakashi asked him.

"Not until I make it right," Sasuke answered. "Until then, it's not like Sakura could've had any sort of a fulfilling relationship with me," Sasuke points out, no trace of doubt in his mind. "She'd sit around waiting, infatuated with the fantasy of me coming home for good. If we ever had kids, she'd be caring for them herself. It's just not meant to be."

"If you say so, but I seem to recall that you had a dream to revive your clan," Kakashi teases. 

"Dreams don't always come true, Kakashi-sensei. You know that," Sasuke said, looking his mentor in the eyes. 

"So, what are _you_ going to do about it?" Kakashi asked him. 

"Keep watch," Sasuke said. "If a threat appears, I'll deal with it. In the meantime, when I visit, I'll just keep an eye out. I don't want her getting hurt."

"He's not going to hurt her," Kakashi stated. "He may be a wildcard, but he's fiercely loyal. Danzo couldn't convince him to defect to Root, and that's with the influence of Shisui's eye."

"Immune to genjutsu?" Sasuke asked.

"He was sent here at the time as a resource because of his family's doujutsu, the Tsukinome, which can see through deception," Kakashi explained. "So long as it's active, that is."

"And his purpose this time?" Sasuke questioned.

"To join his home into the alliance with the Five Great Nations," Kakashi stated. "Or do you not trust someone I would personally vouch for?"

"If you trust him, I do," Sasuke stated. "Still going to keep an eye out."

"Feel free to do just that," Kakashi said, a hand panning along the horizon as it pointed out the window. 

Sasuke nodded before taking off again, leaving only the open window in his wake. 

[]====[]===========================>

Kemurida and Sakura parted ways with the others. The conversation had gotten pretty heated, and Chouji almost ended up slugging Naruto over an insensitive comment until Anko summoned snakes to slither around and bind the two of them, warning them that as a Proctor, she was not going to have any sort of disputes between those younger than her.

Neji and Tenten had left a little earlier, then Shino, Kiba, Hinata, and Kurenai shortly after. Following the altercation, Shikamaru had told Chouji that they were leaving, and Chouji had reluctantly agreed, still bitching that the BBQ place didn't have enough pork. 

Naruto ended up getting dragged off by Anko, who had a sinister look in her eyes. Ino had waved Kemurido and Sakura off as they left before heading down towards her house.

Sakura led the way back to her house, looking back to Kemurido. 

"So, did you enjoy it?" Sakura asked him. 

"The food, or the conversation?" Kemurido asked. 

"Either," Sakura answered.

"The food was delicious," Kemurido answered her. "All of the seasoning, the right amount of smokiness, the texture, all of it was spectacular."

"I'm glad you enjoyed," Sakura smiled.

"And the conversation wasn't bad," Kemurido smiled. "It was nice meeting everyone. I feel bad for Naruto, then again, maybe what he's about to go through is karma for picking a fight with Chouji. Now… what's the deal between Hinata and Neji?"

"They were cousins," Sakura answered. "When Hiashi, Hinata's father, sacrificed himself to save the two of them, he had an adoption paper in his pocket. It's also the document that made it so that he was heir to the household. So… she's kind of like his little sister now."

"Hiashi thought he was more worthy?" Kemurido asked.

"He acknowledged that Hinata never really wanted to be a ninja," Sakura answered. "And it was the best way to free Neji from his fate as a member of the Side Branch."

"Side Branch?" Kemurido asked.

"The Hyuga Household is divided between the main and side branches," Sakura answered. "Or… was…, anyways the Main Branch is the family of the heir, whereas the Side Branch is everyone else. The Side Branch existed to serve the Main Branch."

"Indentured servitude," Kemurido grimaced, shaking his head.

"Neji changed that though," Sakura spoke up. "He fought with the clan elders about it, but he got them to back down, realizing what they had done. Realizing the weight of their decisions. Now, there may as well be just the main branch, because there's no difference between the households."

"It's not easy speaking out against family tradition," Kemurido said. "Good for them."

"Anyways…. Do you want to shower again when we get back to the house?" Sakura asked, looking away with a blush.

"Are you saying you want a shower?" Kemurido asked. 

"If you want one…" Sakura trailed off, softly smiling. 

"I'm good, actually, but if you want one, we could," Kemurido smirked.

"Well,.. we should…." Sakura said shyly. "After everything since leaving the house." 

"Like sparring and such?" Kemurido asked. "Yeah, you're right. But… on one condition."

"What's that?" Sakura asked, blushing, rubbing her thighs together as she walked. 

"No sexy stuff," he answered. "I think we've done enough."

"Oh, okay," Sakura responded, smiling. "Easy enough."

The two continued their walk in peace, as Navy Blue swallowed the sky, with tiny patches of gray speckled across it, and a large patch of black in the northern sky. It took all of six minutes for them to get back to her place.

At the door, they each kicked off their footwear in turn, Kemurido first, who stepped up to hardwood and turned to offer his hand for balance. She took it as she fought hers off before following his lead, reaching her head up for a peck at his lips. 

Kemurido motioned for her to take the lead, and she did, prancing to the stairs, before slowly climbing. He followed with a soft smile, admiring her.

As they got to the top of the stairs, she twirled around, giving him a look then skipped to her room. Before he reached her door, she popped her head back out, holding a pink pair of pajamas for herself, and a red and dark blue pair of hakama for him. He gave them an eye before shrugging and taking them, before turning back to the bathroom.

She ran the water, stripping out of her clothes quickly, as he did the same. She stepped into the tub, filling it this time rather than running the shower, then pulled the shower curtain close to herself, hugging her body with it before peeking out to him.

"You coming?" She asked him.

"Decided on a bath instead, huh?" He asked, stepping towards her, then kissing her forehead before reaching a leg over the side of the tub. He sank into it, his legs spread so she had room to sit, and she leaned into him as she did. 

The walls of the tub just about came up to her shoulder; her head to his chin. He held his arms around her as the tub slowly filled with almost burning hot water. He ran the fingers of his right hand through her hair until the tips met the ends, then he pressed two against her neck testing her pulse, which was racing.

"Your heartbeat is awfully fast…. Don't trust me?" He asked her, gently tracing the fingertips from there to her navel. His other hand came down over her left shoulder and rested atop his right.

"It's not that," Sakura said. "This is just…," she exhaled and closed her eyes, shutting the water off as it almost reached her breasts. "This is new to me, and it's happening so fast." 

"Sakura," Kemurido said, softly talking into her ear. "You have a big heart. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out. To have a big heart is to feel taken for granted when no one is willing to receive it, but also to unload _everything_ into the first person who is.

"I know you had hoped that person would be Sasuke," Kemurido continued, as he reached for the soap and started spreading it on her bosom. "And while I don't know all of the history, there is a reason he wasn't able to receive your feelings, which probably left you feeling unwanted, or underappreciated."

"And now, he's become distant," Kemurido finished.

"He's always been distant," Sakura said in a voice just louder than a whisper.

"Then he had his reasons," Kemurido countered, now working on her shoulders. "But in the process, he hurt you, and without meaning to, he brushed off your feelings. I don't know what he felt for you, but if it was love, then he took yours for granted by thinking he could stay away for such a long time and still have your devotion."

"That's how it always was," Sakura mumbled.

"Yes, but as someone with a big heart, you needed someone to receive those feelings, otherwise you were holding onto them for no reason," Kemurido explained. "And holding those feelings in for someone, and having that person just brush them away… it hurts, and after a time, you start to have doubts about whether you'll ever have those feelings received. Which is why I asked you to search yourself and figure out whether I'm a rebound from what you felt for him, or if this is real."

"I understand that, Rido," Sakura said. "I just need some time." 

"I understand that," Rido said, putting the soap down and reaching for the shampoo. "Just think about it, and let me clean you." He ran fingers covered in suds from the shampoo through her hair, gently pressing his fingertips into her scalp, massaging the pink shampoo into her roots. When each strand of hair was coated to her roots, he grabbed for a cup, and dipped it in the water before pouring it over her head. Four times he did this, until all of the shampoo was out of her hair. 

He then reached for the conditioner, spreading that through her hair just the same, and once that was on every stand, he simply left it alone. 

"We're going to let that sit for a moment," he said to her, wrapping his arms around her. While he held her, he noticed movement beneath the soapy water, and put the pieces together. "Are you rubbing your thighs together?"

"No!" Sakura half shouted, then put her head down. "... maybe." She admitted. 

"I thought I said 'no sexy stuff'," he chastised her. 

"I- I can't help it!" She flipped. "It's just… everything you're doing seems to…" 

In her panic, she hadn't really noticed as his right hand had made its way under her right armpit, then between her legs, but the moment she felt him start to harden against her, she scooted forward, and into his fingertips. 

"And what's this?!" Sakura turned her head, not pulling away from his fingers, as they gently prodded at her. 

"I'm sorry," he chuckled. "Trying to help you, I guess I got in the mood too."

She pursed her lips, then rolled her eyes at him. "Feel free," she said, a little bit of an attitude ringing in her voice. 

"I'll be alright," he said.

"Just… if you say that, that's your final decision. We aren't taking ANOTHER bath today after this, and I don't want to go to bed sweaty," she said. "So get it out of your system, or live with it." She lifted herself out of the water, before kneeling on her knees, her peach shaped posterior just above the water. He knelt up, reaching for the soap with his left hand.

"Really?" She asked. "You're really going to just…..-ugh." She was interrupted by his rod sliding it's way all the way in, his scrotum swinging forward against her clit with a loud, wet _thwack!_ A grin instantly formed on her face as she bit her bottom lip. 

"You were saying?" He asked her, spreading soap across her midriff with his left hand, as he snaked his right arm under her right shoulder and grabbed hold of her chin. "I think… you wanted this anyways. You just didn't want to ask, choosing to provoke me, rather than embarrass yourself. Am I wrong?" He thrusted into her again, as his left hand is rubbing salt into her navel. 

"No, Rido, you're…. Correct," she said, panting. 

"Then…." He grabbed her by the back of her hair, which made her canal tighten around him. "Beg for it." 

"Do I have to?" She complained before he thrusted just once more. 

"I could stop," he warned her. 

"Please, Rido, don't stop?" She whimpered.

"What _do_ you want me to do?" He asked. 

"Fuck me hard," she gritted her teeth as he slowly grinded the head against the wall of her canal on his way out. 

"What was that?" He asked, teasing her. His left hand skipped her hips for now, sliding to her folds, where he pinched the flesh together against him. 

"Please, Rido, fuck me like a whore! Fuck me like you hate me, and are trying to teach me a lesson!" She belches out subconsciously only to have a surprised look on her face afterwards, her tongue still hanging out. He thrusted in again, but this time kept thrusting, his index finger breaking away from the rest of his left fingers that squeezed her pussy, and started lightly tracing against her clit. Meanwhile, his right arm came around her neck, pulling her head back, as he pulled her back, her knees and toes being the only things that touched the bottom of the tub. 

The angle her thrusted into her pressed against the front wall of her passage, and rubbed it's length very roughly. She only clenched down harder the more he manhandled her, which made his member grind more against her walls. As he thrusted, she instinctively wagged her hips left and right, but either way, her teeth were clenched all the while. She started moaning loudly.

"Rido…!" She screamed, then may as well have started chanting his name. Her eyes started twitching, as her hands fumbled for anywhere to grab, her left found his arm an option, while the right found a tuft of his long hair, and pulled. 

"I'm… Rido! I'M…." She struggled to push the words out as her innards started spasming all at once. 

"Me… too," he groaned, biting down on his lower lip, making four more laboured thrusts before he pushed it all the way in, no longer pinching her flesh, instead, rubbing on it briskly, as white fluid shot into her, then she squeezed down on him. As her orgasm went on, he moved his hand back to squeezing her, and when he felt it end, he gripped her hip. 

His right arm felt like it was burning from four crimson streaks that ended where her fingernails were. He kissed her shoulder. 

"That's enough for now," he said, then asked. "Right?" 

"Y-yes," she stuttered once, her mind now in a haze of satisfaction.

"I'm going to clean you without pulling out," he told her. "Wouldn't want to mix that with the bath water."

"How considerate," she barely managed, grinning.

He reached for the soap, and did exactly as he told her. A couple of times, she moved or squeezed around him as he was trying to reach for her lower thighs, knees, and further down, lifting her to her feet to be sure he could without wasting soap. He worked his way back up the back sides of her legs, then cleaned her ass, before tracing his fingers back around her and cleaning her folds. She twitched in response, clenching down on him as he did, and moaned very softly.

"Sakura-tan," he teased. 

"I can't help it," she responded. 

"I need to clean up too now," he told her, trying to coax her to get out of the tub. 

She pulled the plug to the tub anyways, but started running the shower head instead, then in the same movement, stretched her right leg up, turning herself around, without moving him out of her, until they were belly to belly. With the same leg, she gently prodded against the back of his knees, and he gently lowered both of them down until she was straddling him while he sat against the head of the tub, hot water spraying against her back. 

"I'll clean you this time," she told him, leaning over him. She grabbed a handful of soap and lathered it across his chest, meanwhile she rocked her hips front to back, grinding his meat inside of her. Her palms started to glow green as she traced his scars, which didn't heal, but black markings appeared at the edges of his front whenever her hand came close, but only for a moment. 

"When you use… Shosen jutsu.." she explained as she stroked him with her body. "You have to have very precise…. Control… of your chakra." She continued to spread soap over his chest and down his arms as she demonstrated. "To fail to do this… could cause… a wound… to get hurt." Sakura's body started to tremble as she finished cleaning his arms and moved to his lower abdomen. 

"You were really wanting it, huh?" Kemurido teased. 

"Oh, shut it," Sakura snapped, grinding harder against him as the soap reached his hips. She leaned forward against him, rinsing her hands in the still draining water before reaching for the shampoo, and doing the same thing for his hair that he had done for hers, kissing him as she did. 

She was nearly halfway done with shampooing his hair when she became unable to hold back the moans she had been suppressing. She quivered around him, and a tremble went down her spine, not ceasing until she was on the last bit of his hair. All the while he was edging closer and closer to cumming again himself, stifling his urge to bite by bringing his arms up and grabbing hold of her butt, gripping tightly. 

That's when her mouth pulled away from his, and her head shot back, her movements stopped as she started to constrict around him, and he started two twitch as well, as she came around him, panting hard with her tongue out when her head finally came forward. 

He came almost immediately after, more white spunk shooting deep inside of her. He leaned his head back the moment he finished, and she dropped her head, hot water running off of her hair, and rinsing his chest. 

"Well, we failed to keep our word," Kemurido chuckled lightly. "So, I guess we have to start over from scratch?" 

He reached for a second bar of soap that hadn't been touched since Ino showered, and started rubbing it across Sakura's skin, as she lifted herself off of him choosing to kneel between his legs, cleaning from his hips to his ankles meticulously. He cleaned her upper body as she did so. The two meticulously smothered soap across each others bodies, leaving not an inch uncovered with suds. Then they rinsed off.

Sakura slowly turned off the water.

The two stepped out of the tub, one at a time, drying off before reaching for new clothes. Sakura slid a pair of pink and white panties on before sliding on her pyjama bottoms at the same time that Kemurido slid his hakama on. He circled around her as she put the shirt on, helping her button up the front, then he leaned in for a kiss, which sent static through her body. 

"I hope you're always going to be this adorable," he said, offering his hand as he unlocked the bathroom door. 

"Oh, shut up, will you?" She grumbled, taking his hand loosely. 

The two stepped into the hall, and made their way back to her bedroom before a knock was heard just down the stairs, followed by the sound of the door opening and closing. 

Footsteps made their way up the stairs, then to the bedroom door behind them. Ino poked her head in, gently pushing the door with her left shoulder, a pile of clean clothes in her hands.

"Hello, Ino," Sakura said, having turned to face her.

"I made it a point to clean the clothes from earlier," Ino explained, noticing the wet hair of the two. "Looks like good timing too. Want me to bring the new batch back with me."

"I would appreciate that," Sakura said bowing. "Thank you for the help."

"Yeah, don't mention it," Ino said. "Just please try not to add too many clothes to your daily routine."

"I want to thank you too, Ino," Kemurido said. "You didn't have to."

"If I didn't, she would have had less time for the things she needed to do today… besides, it was worth it for me."

"Maybe we'll do it again sometime," Kemurido teased. Both of the girls' faces turned red. "Anyways, I'm sure you need to get back to your place."

"Unless you want to stay the night?" Sakura suggested. 

"Whoah," Kemurido exclaimed, his face turning pink as his eyes widened. "No more sex for the day. Come on, Sakura. I don't want to keep building up on laundry and shower bills… "

"I wasn't talking about that," Sakura corrected him. "Can totally tell that you have your mind in the gutter."

"I'll bet we're not the only Kunoichi from the five great nations he's slept with," Ino chastised. 

"Well…. About that…" Kemurido sputtered, scratching his nose.

"Who?" Sakura asked.

"Kurotsuchi of Iwagakure… we were almost caught by Akatsuchi…," Kemurido confessed.

"And, how was she?" Ino asked.

"Um... well…" he hesitated.

"Answer the question, or you'll sleep on the couch tonight, and the two of us will cuddle," Sakura threatened. 

"Was she better, or were we?" Ino asked. The two of them had very angry looks on their faces.

"She was more… experienced," Kemurido answered. "But it felt better with you two…" he spoke slowly, bracing himself to get hit.

The hit never came, but the two girls glared at him, anger permeating the room. 

"So, it felt better with us?" Ino asked.

"What about it felt better?" Sakura demanded.

"She was more experienced… and was better with her mouth I guess…" he reeled, rubbing the back of his head. "But she just laid there otherwise. For being virgins, you two were more active in bed either way."

"Shitty playboy," Ino stuck her nose up at gim.

Silence radiated through the room for a moment before Sakura let out a loud sigh.

"At least he was honest about it," Sakura admitted. "And it's not like it happened today. He's allowed to make his own choices I guess." There was a certain tone to her voice. "It's not like I could have really expected any better from Sasuke, considering he's gone all the time."

"Yeah, and I guess it was worth it anyways," Ino sighed as well, coming to terms with what's been done. "But no more playing around!"

"I promise," Kemurido smirked, rubbing his head. 

The tension in the room died down. 

"I guess I'll bring these ones back to my place in the morning," Ino shrugged. 

"So, it's a sleepover?" Sakura asked. 

"Fuck it, sure," Ino said, moving over to the bureau, placing the clothes on top of it before pulling Sakura's off Kemurido's and placing them in a different pile. She turned towards the other two. 

"Let me just get ready for bed," Ino said, stepping out of the room. 

Sakura looked at Kemurido, who looked at her. Their eyes were locked for maybe about twenty minutes before either looked away, and only because Ino had come back in a violet nighty and thigh-high stockings.

"Ino had clothes here?" Kemurido asked Sakura.

"She keeps a few sets in the guest room," Sakura answered.

"Convenient," Kemurido nodded. "Anyways, after today's festivities, I'm exhausted." He walked over to the bed, spun around once, and with a single movement of his ankles, he launched himself onto the bed, landing on his back in the center. His arms spread out when he landed, and his landing was surprisingly soft.

"Show off," Sakura quipped.

"If you don't cuddle up to him, I will," Ino raised an eyebrow at Sakura, who quickly moved the Kemurido's right side, before quickly scooting herself in under the blankets. Ino, however, just laid down over the blankets, both snuggling up to him. A bolt moved through Kemurido's body as Ino's knee moved over his groin. 

"Ino, no," he scolded her firmly. 

"I know," she smiled. "Doesn't mean I can't tease you a bit first."

Sakura kissed his cheek, and Ino traced her fingers on his scars. Kemurido ignored them, closing his eyes, and letting himself drift off. 

The ladies gossiped a little after that before both of them initially tried to fall asleep with their heads on his chest, but neither was used to that, and ended up rolling away, their backs to him, pushing his arms to his side for comfort. 

*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*×*

Sakura didn't sleep well, and her dreams weren't the most pleasant. She found herself in a void of darkness, the only sources of light coming from her left and her right. To the right the silhouette of a Serpent could be faintly made out, a man standing on top of it, and a Sharingan glowing bright red beside a Rinnegan.

To her left was the silhouette of a dragon, towering above her, much bigger than Ryukotsusei was, seven long wings, and one shredded stub of a wing, three eyes lit up where its head stood. It's right was a Sharingan, Left was a Tsukinome in Full Moon form, and it's third eye was a Byakugan. As she watched, its Sharingan shifted, becoming a Rinnegan, and suddenly it lunged at the snake, who struck back in vain.

The battle may as well have been one sided, and the snake ended up ripped in half before being thrown to the grown, and sinking into the waves of the shadows, which began to grip at Sakura herself.

When she opened her eyes, Kemurido was gone, and so were his clothes…. 

[]====[]===========================>

_~Five minutes before Sakura woke up~_

Kemurido's eye shot open. He wasn't sure why, but he had this feeling that he was being watched or something distasteful was very close. He gently sat up, not wanting to wake the women, and scooted himself off the bed, putting his bare feet on the ground. 

He strutted to the window, pulling the pink curtains back before peering out, and all he could see was the Konoha skyline, illuminated by the full moon. In the distance, a silhouette jumped across an alleyway, and when Kemurido focused his vision, he could see a red light where the right eye should be.

 _'A Sharingan!'_ He thought to himself, sure not to transfer the thoughts to Ino.

 _'It must be him. He's the only shinobi left who has the ability to use it, other than you,'_ Ryukantsuu said, stirring from his own sleep. 

Kemurido dropped the hakama he wore shamelessly on the floor, grabbing his clean clothes, and slipping into his boxers and jeans before taking off out of the bedroom, slipping the rest on as he moved. By the time he made it down the stairs, all that was left was to kick on his tabi and wear his headband, before grabbing his swords which were laying by the door. 

As he got one tabi, he felt someone behind him, and when he looked up, Ino was standing at the top of the stairs, getting herself dressed, a bag of laundry placed behind her. Once she had her top on, she prodded her way down the stairs gently. Kemurido waited patiently, discouraged by the fact that she woke up anyways.

"You're going after him, aren't you?" Ino asked. 

"Yes," he answered her. "Do me a favor."

"What's that?" Ino asked, irritated by what he was trying to do.

"If anything should happen to me, use your families jutsu, if you can, to erase all of Sakura's memories of me," Kemurido requested. "It's better she didn't remember someone she may have felt something for, than for her to mourn a man she only knew for a day who died for his clan's memory."

"I'm not sure I can," Ino said, uncharacteristically doubtful in her own abilities. "And if I can, it's possible that she would eventually break through."

"As long as time has passed, and she's been able to move on, that's fine," Kemurido said. "As long as she doesn't get hurt."

"She'll be hurt regardless of the outcome here," Ino lectured him. "If you really cared, you'd let it go."

"I _do_ care, but I _can't_ let it go. This has to be settled," Kemurido retorted. 

"Whatever. Just don't expect me to understand what your intentions are," Ino replied, slipping her sandals on quicker than he was for his tabi. 

"I wouldn't dream of it," Kemurido replied. "That's why you're just a plaything for us." 

"Fuck you!" Ino said, slapping him, before turning around and taking off out the door. 

_'She's right, you know,'_ Ryukantsuu lectured. 

"Can it, Ryuukantsuu. I'm not in the mood," Kemurido said aloud, finally finished putting on his tabi. 

He tied the headband on, then grabbed his swords, snapping one to his belt, and reaching into a brown pouch hidden under his cloak on his left arm, poking his finger on a spike intentionally placed along the top of it before pressing a single drop to a symbol on a piece of paper that he had memorized to location of, and as his pulled his hand out, a red ball-joint chain followed his finger. 

He latched the chain together, sliding it between his right shoulder and his cloak, down his back, around his left hip, and back across his chest. He then snapped the other sword onto a particular joint to the chain that sat on his back, connecting another part of the sheath to another snap that was located on his belt. With this, he was ready.

He stepped outside, and at that point noticed that storm clouds surrounded the village, a clear patch of sky sitting over it. He figured it was likely just a phenomenon that was typical for the village, and took off running silently towards the gate. He only allowed enough chakra flow through his body to propel his feet to push him further with each consecutive step until he was launching himself forward ten or twenty feet with each step. 

As he reached the wall, he ran up it, avoiding the actual gate, and when he got to the top, he took three steps down the outer gate before crouching, and launching himself off the gate, which groaned and cracked against his propulsion force. He didn't look back to see if he had damaged the wall at all. 

It would be another hundred and fifty feet before he would jump again, and he just now started to pick up the trail of the man he was chasing. He slowed down only enough to keep pace so as to avoid detection whilst also keeping his target where he could sense him. 

Kemurido followed his target for two and a half kilometers, heading south from the village. The forests only grew thicker as they moved, and it started to rain. Kemurido shot a glance to the sky, realizing it was pitch black. He smiled, confident in his abilities for fighting in the middle of a storm. Everything was aligning itself properly.

The man ahead of him came to an abrupt stop, and Kemurido gripped his cloak just right to slow him down. He dropped to the ground slowly, then gently took steps closer to the figure ahead. The rain had started, and echoing thunder could be heard in the distance. 

Kemurido stepped into the clearing, the other man just on the other side with his back turned to him. 

"You followed me, why?" He asked, shooting a glare with just his right eye, the red from the Sharingan glowing. 

"So I guess you wouldn't believe me if I said that I was just looking for a warmup," Kemurido joked, making three hand signals before his Bishyamonten second step triggered, flowing through him. 

"No," the man turned towards him, his own chakra flowing. Kemurido launched into the air a moment before a black flame apparated where his feet had been. "What's your _real_ answer?" 

Kemurido lunged at him with one blade, slashing upwards, his slash colliding with the side of the Kusanagi sword the other held. 

"Revenge," Kemurido asked. "You _did_ kill my clan."

Sasuke parried the blade, flinging it aside effortlessly before attempting to kick Kemurido, who jumped over his leg, stepped on his shoulder and landed behind him.

"And what clan is it that I _supposedly_ killed?" Sasuke asked.

"Gakitsuki ring a bell?" Kemurido asked, attempting to stab Sasuke in the back, but ended up just poking a small lump of wood instead.

"Only from Orochimaru's mouth," Sasuke answered from a tree. "He had interest in your clan, it being the only other to commonly have access to the Sharingan."

"Your chakra signature is soooo very familiar, Uchiha Sasuke," Kemurido said, crouching. "That damned sword you carry too." He launched off of the ground at Sasuke, enraged, as he went to slash at him with one blade, which Sasuke parried, then again with the other, which Sasuke dodged. 

"I'm telling you, it wasn't me," Sasuke protested.

" _STOP LYING!"_ Kemurido demanded, his speed tripling, as he left any sense of caution to the wind. He bolted back and forth through the trees. Sasuke sighed, and counter attacked, deflecting the swords skillfully, albeit, with some effort. When he found an opening he kicked Kemurido square in the chest, knocking him to the ground where he simply launched back up.

Purple chakra started to solidify around Sasuke, as his Susanoo took shape. Kemurido smirked.

"So that's how you want to play this?" He yelled, gathering chakra to his feet, and dodging around the arrow that had launched at him before dropkicking the Susanoo from above, which flinched just enough for the branch underneath Sasuke to snap. 

"So you learned something from Sakura," Sasuke noted, then noticed that Kemurido's eyes were glowing red. "Orochimaru never did explain how your clan had access to the Sharingan."

"None of your business," Kemurido glared, lunging after Sasuke again, lightning starting to crackle off off his blades as he slashed into the armor.

A buzzing noise reverberated as the lightning collided with Susanoo, and the swords began to peel into the armor, which caused Sasuke's eyes to open wide. Sasuke dispelled his Susanoo before jumping away. 

Sasuke looked at the other man. He now noticed that a layer of grey scales was starting to appear over his face, neck, and arms. 

"I see, is that how you have access to the Sharingan?" Sasuke asked, swinging his sword skillfully in one hand. "A beast inside of you?"

"Beast is a bit crude," Kemurido said, flipping through the air before landing on his feet. "Call it as it is, a dragon."

"I see," Sasuke snickered. "Well, did you have fun using your dragon today?"

"You!!" Kemurido flared up. "Bishyamonten: San no Koi!! Ryuu no Ikari <Bishamonten: Third Step! Dragon's Rage!>!" 

Lightning began protruding fiercely around him as the winds kicked up. Thunder clouds started roaring overhead, and lightning started streaking the sky as well. A silverish blue emanated from around Kemurido's Sharingan eyes. 

"To think, you could affect the weather with that jutsu. Time for me to undo that augment," Sasuke held a hand up to the sky, lightning coating it the moment it began to rise. "This jutsu is called Kirin!" 

"Mangekyo Sharingan!" Kemurido yelled, before lunging into the air, only to vanish completely. Sasuke could only track a flicker of his movement, but with an enraged enemy, he knew what to expect, dancing around Kemurido's movements. 

"Begone, with the thunderclap!" Sasuke breathed out as Kemurido started to break through Sasuke's rhythm. The dragon made entirely of lightning appeared behind Sasuke, then crashed into Kemurido as one large flurry of bolts. 

Sasuke's eyes widened when he watched the lightning flirting off of Kemurido's body start to change a reddish color. He sighed before drawing even more chakra out. 

"Chibaku Tensei!" Sasuke yells, aggravated that he'd have to use any of his Rinnegan techniques on someone who simply didn't understand the situation. 

Debris from the ground rushed up, trying to encase Kemurido, but he was moving around them too easily, until a golden hand came out of the darkness and grabbed him. Kemurido's eyes widened as he was pulled back into the circle of debris, which encased his body first, then broke as Kemurido emerged from it with a silver tail ripping through the back of his jeans, a scythe seemingly at the end of it. 

"Perfect timing, Naruto," Sasuke said as Naruto, in his fox sage cloak appeared beside him.

"Yeah, but it looks like this is a handful," Naruto smirked.

"Yeah," Sasuke sighed. "He broke Chibaku Tensei's core with that tail of his."

"That's bad, right?" Naruto asked.

"You're still an idiot," Sasuke commented. "But yes, it is. It means that sealing him is going to be tragically difficult."

"Then we'll knock some sense into him," Naruto smirked, bolting at Kemurido. He made his usual hand signal, summoning three shadow clones. Meanwhile Sasuke lunged straight in. Kemurido's body suddenly let out a loud crack. 

_'What the….?'_ He asked himself in his head, starting to lose himself.

 _'I just tripped five of your inner gates,'_ Ryuukantsuu answered. _'An added threat means more resources needed.'_

 _'Don't ever do that again,'_ Kemurido snapped at the dragon. Meanwhile his sclera turned black in a blink, all of Naruto's shadow clones had disappeared, and Kemurido was lunging at Sasuke again. Then Naruto got in front of him, a Rasengan readied, and held back.

"As if I'd let you do that!" Kemurido said, dropping his right hand sword, and pulling his right hand back, an elongated blade of wind and lightning shaping around it. "Rairyu no Tsume (Lightning Dragon's Fang)!" 

As the two jutsu collided, a screech sounded in the air, and a shockwave spread through the woods. It felt like the two jutsu battle each other for dominance forever, but it was really less than five seconds before both rebounded, launching Naruto into Sasuke, and back through the woods. Kemurido, on the other hand, was launched back, and into the arms of yet another person. As soon as he landed, he looked up, and saw Sakura's face, tears rolling down it, dripping onto his forehead. 

"Please stop," she pleaded. "Don't you think this is enough?" She asked him.

"Not until…" he started to say, before realizing she was holding him back. 

"Use the Tsukinome… just ask him," she sobbed softly into his ear. 

He breathed for a second,rage still burning inside him. He pushed it down, taking a second to regain control, then closed his eyes. When he opened them, Sasuke and Naruto stood over him, and his eyes had shifted to silver discs in a pitch dark night. He focused on Sasuke.

"I'll ask you.. this time," he said quietly, panting from his damaged muscles, the gates starting to close. "Have you ever been to Kazangakure? Did you massacre the Gakitsuki….. never mind…"

Kemurido stopped himself, because his eyes now saw Sasuke's confusion, and that Sasuke hadn't once lied to him. He felt ashamed. 

"My apologies, Sasuke-dono," Kemurido stated, not really able to stand. "It appears that you truly are innocent."

"To think Sakura-chan would do what we failed to do, eh, Sasuke, -Dattebayo?" Naruto asked cheerfully.

"Tch, cleared out the darkness inside of him, it would seem," Sasuke grunted.

"Sakura, please?" Kemurido begged, his regeneration factor refusing to kick in. 

"No," Sakura sobbed. "You didn't tell me what was going on, so I was worried. Then I find you like this? What were you thinking!" She punched him square in the chest, causing him to gasp, and the ground cracked around him, Kemurido's eyes rolling back in his skull. 

"Oh god, she killed him! -Ttebayo" Naruto cringed, stepping back.

"He's not that weak," Sasuke shrugged. 

Kemurido didn't breathe for a solid minute before his ribs started to move again, his eyes returning to normal. Sakura placed both of her hands on his chest, and they started to glow. 

At that point, another presence was felt by all four of them, approaching them, with a chakra signature almost identical to Sasuke's, before it shifted to become completely different. 

"Show yourself!" Sasuke demanded, his hand on his sword. 

"Hahaha, no need to be hasty!" Said a man with silver hair and an X scar across his face. 

His eyes were red with an activated Sharingan, and he carried just one really long, straight-bladed katana in a black sheath. He wore a white cloak, and an ornate blue and gold leather vest underneath it, grey sleeves sprouting from it at his shoulders. He wore black jeans, just like Kemurido, with a set of shin guards and boots. 

"After all, I just wanted to say hello to my brother for the first time in six years," the man smirked a jagged smile. "Seems you've grown, Rido." 

"Brother?!" Sakura's eyes widened as she asked aloud. 

"Kirichou?" Kemurido's eyes widened as he sat up a little, glaring at the man approaching through rain that began to become a light mist around them as it slowed. 

"Oh. So you do remember my name?" Kirichou chuckled. "I missed you at the village last year."

"Wait, what?" Kemurido asked, almost immediately finding his own answer within as Ryuukantsuu started to regenerate his flesh again, the scales spreading again with the dragon's anger. 

"You're the reason he was pursuing me then?" Sasuke asked with naught but a sideward glance.

"Oh, hello, Sasuke," he smirked. "Naruto and Sakura too." He smirked. "Haven't seen the three of you since y'all were twelve or thirteen."

"What's your angle?" Sakura asked.

"Oh, I'm just passing through. From the Land of Rivers," he smirked. "Had some work to do there, to make sure a message was delivered. Saishu Okoku (Final Kingdom) approaches, you have five months until my liege arrives, and then the shinobi world will be brought to an end."

"Wait, what?" Kemurido asked, barely managing to pull himself to his feet. "Then… was killing our clan…?"

"Still slow?" Kirichou asked. "Yes, it was me, as Sasuke surmised, and yes, I did it to prove loyalty to my liege."

"You keep saying that, but who is this liege you're talking about?" Naruto asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Tentaiyou Ikishibe," he smiled. "And now that my message is soon to be delivered, I'll be on my way."

"You said… Land of Rivers?" Kemurido grunted, taking a couple of steps.

"Yes, why don't you follow the smoke stacks and find out, little brother?" Kirichou teased before stepping back. 

Kemurido tried to lunge at him, but Sakura held him back, trying to keep him from hurting himself again. Meanwhile Naruto and Sasuke both lunge at Kirichou, who steps back, into darkness, which seems to swallow him whole, leaving not a trace of him except his footsteps in the mud.

"Dammit!" Naruto screams, as he comes to a halt, passing nearly through Kirichou a split second after his disappearance. 

"It isn't dimensional either, so I can't follow," Sasuke observed.

"Which means…," Kemurido started, calming down again. "It's probably a sort of summoning technique. Displacement. It would explain why we sensed him approaching, but he was able to disappear so quickly."

"So, the person who pulled could be anywhere," Sasuke said. 

"We should… head for the Land of Rivers," Kemurido suggested, a look of grief on his face. 

"Why?" Naruto said. "Shouldn't we report to the village first?"

"We don't have time," Kemurido replied. "If we don't hurry, the buzzards will be picking off of the casualties, and given his tone, there will be a few of those… If that's the case, we know there was damage done, so we should make an attempt to identify the corpses.. especially considering…" Kemurido looked back at Sakura. 

"Considering what?" Naruto asked. 

Sasuke looked between Kemurido and Sakura, who took a moment before a look of recognition hit her face. She fell to her knees immediately after with a look of terror. 

"My… parents…" Sakura mumbled.

"The quickest way would be to fly, then," Sasuke suggested.

"Someone's got to go report this to Kakashi," Kemurido nodded. "I'm going either way, and Sakura should either way."

"I'm going too!" Naruto shouted. 

"Naruto, rush to the village, then head to the Land of Valleys," Sasuke ordered. "You're the fastest on foot."

"That won't be necessary," a raspy voice said walking into the clearing with two young men, a young woman, and a man slightly younger than himself behind him. 

"Kakashi… Ino, Shikamaru," Kemurido identified three of them, stumbling on the other two, as one he didn't really recognize, and he wasn't going to reveal Tenzo's true name.

"Yamato-sensei, and you," Naruto said, sounding annoyed when he said 'you're, pointing at the young man at Yamato's left.

"Will you ever call me 'Sai', Naruto?" The young man sighed. 

"This is a pain in the ass," Shikamaru complained, blowing a plume of smoke, then tossing a whole pack to Kemurido who caught it. 

"Don't complain so much!" Ino snapped at him.

"Thanks, Shikamaru," Kemurido said, putting one of the cigs to his mouth before lighting it by scraping his still existing scales together just enough to cause a spark. He inhaled deeply. "I needed this," he said as he exhaled.

"Yeah, don't mention it," Shikamaru exhaled. 

"Anyways, I heard the details. The nine of you will go to assess the damage. Ino will relay Intel back to me, Yamato will start on reconstruction, and the rest of you will stay alert."

"Nine?" Sakura and Kemurido both said, only counting eight heads besides Kakashi, but then the wind picked up, and a blonde lady came sailing through the trees on an oversized fan, before backflipping off of it, and folding it at the same time, landing gracefully on her feet. 

"Temari?" Shikamaru stammered, blushing a little.

"Expecting my brother or something?" She asked. "Or did you forget I was Sunagakure's liaison to Konoha?"

"I-I just…." Shikamaru stuttered before glaring. "Just leave it. Why do you have to be troublesome?"

"Enough!" Yamato spoke up. "Travel will be by air. Sasuke will summon Garuda, Kemurido will summon Ryukotsusei, Sai will use his Choju Giga: Washi, and Temari her fan. Sai and I will be on the back of his Washi… decide amongst yourselves the rest."

"I guess I'll go with the troublesome woman over there," Shikamaru sighed, flicking his cigarette into a nearby rain puddle. 

"'I guess' I'm okay with that," Temari said.

"Garuda can carry the rest of us, honestly," Sasuke sighed. "But he's faster with just two."

"Ryuukotsusei can handle two dozen without slowdowns," Kemurido said. "So, Ino with me, and Sakura?"

"Well, I'm going with Sasuke," Naruto shrugged. 

"Sakura can go with me," Sasuke said, dismissing Naruto's statement. 

"Looks like Sakura gets the final say," Kemurido stated. 

"I… Rido… am I okay to go with Sasuke?" Sakura asked. 

"You don't have to ask," Kemurido answered. 

"And Naruto, can you please go with Kemurido?" She pleads with him. 

"I guess," he exhales, finally dropping his chakra cloaking. He approaches Kemurido. 

Sasuke and Kemurido both bit a small cut into their thumbs before placing it to the ground. Garuda the hawk, and Ryuukotsusei both appeared before them. Sasuke helped Sakura up onto Garuda, before climbing up himself. 

Meanwhile, Kemurido helped Ino up, then jumped onto Ryukotsusei's back, sliding right behind Ino, in between two spines on the dragons back. Sai rolled out his eagle scroll, summoning the ink beast from it, and Temari prepped her fan. When everyone was in position, the three four groups took off, floating upwards towards the sky, heading northwest to the land of Rivers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [I'm REALLY sorry. This one took a while. I had a few times I had to readjust some details. I feel awful for taking so long. Next time: well, just read and find out.  
> Also, if this were a light novel, volume one would end here.]  
> 


	12. Chapter 11: Kurai Keiji (Dark Revelations)

It was almost sunrise when the smoke pillars were seen on the horizon. Sasuke and Sakura could be seen having a conversation on Garuda's back as Ryuukotsusei flew over the bird. Temari and Shikamaru were floating much closer to the ground, and taking up the rear. Sai and Yamato were flying just above them. 

The ground began to descend on a recently ransacked village. Kemurido leaped off of Ryuukotsusei's back from thirty feet up, landing on his feet, and crouching, his feet sinking in. Ryuukotsusei continued to descend, but Garuda touched the ground first, followed by Temari and Shikamaru. The dragon barely managed to get all four of its limbs on the ground before Sai and Yamato made landfall. 

"There may be other villages like this, but this one was clearly done in earlier in the night," Kemurido said aloud, as he helped Ino to the ground, allowing Naruto to figure out his way down on his own.

"I don't think it was just one person either," Shikamaru stated. "Some pairs of these footprints you see are obviously metal greaves, but of various sizes and widths."

"There's no buzzards yet," Sasuke said, before lighting a blaze with Amaterasu on a pile of collapsed wood. 

"We should split up and check the houses," Ino commented. 

"I'll start preparing graves for the dead," Yamato said, walking off to the edge of the village.

"Yamanaka-chan is right," Temari spoke up. "Everyone, pick a direction, and split up."

"Except the two of them," Shikamaru nodded to Kemurido and Sakura. 

"Why?" Temari asked, currently unaware of the situation.

"Because they're together," Sasuke said, sighing, somewhat agitated.

"And Sakura-chan's parents could be here," Naruto said sullenly, hoping this wasn't the village.

"It's fine," Sakura asserted. "I don't need him by my side that much. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Sakura, Shikamaru is only recommending that he stay with you for the sake of your personal reassurance," Sai said, closing his eyes. "He is trying to express concern for what you may feel if you were to find your parents…"

"Shut up," Kemurido said, glaring at Sai, a red light appearing next to his pupils. "I'll go with her, in case of a worst case scenario, but you need to stop being so blunt. I'm guessing you lack emotions?"

"No. I definitely have feelings," Sai countered.

"He was from Root," Shikamaru explained. "And apparently he doesn't understand a lot about human interaction, and the subtleties of consideration."

"I don't care about his origins," Kemurido fumed. "He'll bite his tongue, or he'll be traveling back to the village in a dragon's mouth, conscious, but paralyzed."

"That would be most unpleasant," Sai said, cringing at the thought, a cold sweat running down his back. 

"That's kind of harsh, don't you think?" Temari asked, then shrugged. "What do I know though?"

"As you search, bring the survivors to the big house. Ino will start treatment," Kemurido directed. "Any who don't make it, or have already passed on shall be brought over to where Yamato is, laid separate, and with something from their home to identify them."

"Sounds like a plan," Temari nodded. 

"Who left you in charge? What a pain," Shikamaru complained, rubbing his neck. 

"At least he's got his head on straight," Sasuke muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Naruto asked Sasuke, glaring at him. 

"It means your plans usually suck," Sai bluntly answered.

"Why I…!" Naruto started.

"Knock it off everyone!" Kemurido howled. "Focus! We have maybe an hour before we start seeing buzzards, and then the dead will suffer for your insubordination"

"Yes, sir," Shikamaru sighed as he walked off rubbing his neck.

Temari nodded before also walking off, swinging her hips. Ino ran to her intended station. Naruto and Sai gave Kemurido a sidewards glance before complying. Sasuke turned his back.

"Be there for her," Sasuke said to Kemurido, resting one hand on his blade before stepping away from him. Kemurido turned to Sakura. "Let's start in the North-East corner," he said, offering his hand. She smiled at him, slowly reaching for it. 

"Yes," she replied. "Yes." 

The two of them stepped across the small village, their feet sinking into soft soil, still damp from the rain. 

"I'll bet there were at least a dozen men here last night," Kemurido stated. "Too many sank in foot prints that look to be from those metal greaves that Shikamaru pointed out."

"Yeah," Sakura said, placing a hand to her chin. "Hardly necessary, really. Most of the inhabitants were unarmed civilians."

"Unless this was to ensure that none escaped," Kemurido suggested. "This was a massacre, which is a hell of a message to send as a declaration of impending war."

"I don't want another war," Sakura complained. "War is so upsetting."

"If it wasn't, it wouldn't be war," Kemurido said. "Anyways, stay on your feet. Could be survivors."

"Well aware of that," Sakura said. A foul stench crossed her nostrils, which shriveled up. She shook her head. 

"The smell of death is always awful," Kemurido commented. "And very rarely delivers good news."

"I'm aware," Sakura said through shaded eyes. "I just hope they weren't in this one."

"I agree," Kemurido mutters. "But you should brace yourself for the worst." 

The two of them come before a building in the farthest corner. They carefully root through it, pulling three corpses; two female, one male; out of the wreckage. The corpses were brought back to Yamato before the two returned to this corner and started working through the next building. 

This one was a longhouse, and looked as if it had been crushed. As the two picked through this wreckage, they talked a little.

"So, what did you and Sasuke discuss?" Rido asked her.

"We discussed what you and I had," Sakura answered. "And that I wasn't in love with him anymore."

"How'd he take that?" Rido asked again.

"Like everything else. Just agreed with me, then blamed himself for pushing me away," Sakura answered. "That atonement bs that he spouts."

"You don't understand what it's like to feel guilty about everything that's happened, do you?" Kemurido asked her.

"Not really," Sakura answered. "I have blamed myself for this or that, but I don't think I've made too many regrets."

"Good for you," Kemurido sighed. "Some of us don't have enough luxury to be able to say that."

"Oh, I'm sorry…" Sakura apologized, as she pulled a body out from beneath a board. 

Kemurido also pulled out a couple more, but one still had a pulse, however their legs were crushed. 

"Bring her to Ino," Kemurido suggested. "I'll take the other two." Kemurido hoisted the other two bodies onto his shoulders, only slightly stumbling before walking confidently to where Yamato was, placing their bodies down. 

As Kemurido made his way back to that corner he noted that the next building was a large inn, three stories tall, with a hole through a section of the roof. He sighed, pulling a cigarette out of the pack that Shikamaru had given him, and lighting it between two fingers as he pressed it to his lips. 

"Raiton Ninpou: Zanryu Toresu (Lightning Element Ninja Art: Residual Tracing)," he said, closing his eyes for a second. When he opened them, lightning was cloaking his eyes, and he could see a spark-net layout of the inn, and the location of anything that had been living at some point in that building within the last twenty-four hours. 

He saw that there were currently eight bodies inside, three of which were still alive. He closed his eyes and deactivated his augmental jutsu, finishing his cigarette as Sakura walked over to him. 

"Eight inside, darling," he said. "The three in the far corner on the right side, bottom floor, they're alive. All others are corpses."

"You know? Smoking kills," she teased him. 

"It's also a stress reliever, which also has some interesting effects on a person's affinity for ninja arts," he countered. "Such as my Zanryu Toresu, which allows me to see bio electrical residue. If I were to focus a little more than I had, I could actually watch a stream of events from up to twenty-four hours ago play out before me. It's one hell of a ninja tool."

"Sounds like it," she replied, reaching for a hug. 

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, careful not to burn her with his cigarette. He saw something floating down towards him from the sky, and he was sure it was just about after-effect of his ninpou, but it seemed to be glowing with a blue spark. 

He slowly pulled his way away from Sakura, holding out his other hand, catching what turned out to be a single piece of paper, folded into an origami flower. He raised an eyebrow, sending emotion from the flower. Feelings of regret, and worthlessness invaded his mind. 

"Kuchiyose no jutsu," Kemurido said, biting his right thumb, and letting a small drop fall to the floor. 

When Ryuukotsusei appeared before the two of them, he looked at Kemurido confused.

"Can you take this flower back with you?" He asked. "Show it to Ryutaruma. I'm sure I'm just imagining it, but it feels like there's a spark of life inside of it."

"Life?" Sakura said, taking a good look at the flower for the first time. "Hey, Naruto! Get over here!"

Naruto rushed over, pausing when he saw the flower in Kemurido's hand. Sasuke approached as well.

"That's-" Naruto started. "That's Konan-chans flower."

"It would seem you found something that I'd been looking for," Sasuke smirked. "Orochimaru wondered if she may have left behind a contingency."

"Did he have a plan if she had?" Kemurido asked.

"As a matter of fact, he did. May I?" Sasuke asked.

"Ryukotsusei, let him tell you where to go," Kemurido said.

"You're going to find a bunker about 4 kilometers north of Ryuichi Cave, if you're aware of where that is," Sasuke said. 

"I'm familiar with the snake tribesmen," Ryukotsusei grumbled. "I'll find this bunker of yours."

"Bring the flowers, gently," Sasuke said.

"As you ask," Ryukotsusei bows, before taking off forcefully, tucking the flower below his tongue. He takes off to the east. 

"So, what's going on?" Naruto asked sheepishly.

"This Konan figure preserved a part of herself in that flower," Kemurido answered. "The dragon race is good with managing memories. They can take memories and preserve them, or even transfer them over. The transference doesn't completely remove the memories from their source, so there have been…. Glitches…"

"That sounds like a headache," Sakura replied.

"Apparently it is if the memories were ripped from you and they start to come back," Kemurido replied. 

"Anyways, most of the rest of the town has been searched," Sasuke said calmly. "Sai, Temari, and Shikamaru are going through the last scraps on the other side."

"So that leaves this building," Kemurido replied. "Could you two prioritize the back right corner on the ground floor? There are three survivors there. Sakura and I will pull the rest of the bodies out while you're bringing them over to Ino or Yamato."

"Anyone on the second floor?" Sasuke asked.

"One body in the far left," Kemurido answered.

"Understood," Sasuke said. He looked at Naruto and nodded. 

"Oh," Naruto had a look of recognition in his eyes, then grinned. Naruto's clothes started to stretch, warped by chakra, as a golden cloak started to grow around him, before he was lifted into the air, shifting into the shape of a bipedal fox.

Meanwhile purple chakra solidified around Sasuke, forming only the skeleton of his Susano'o. He stepped to the corner of the building, pulling pieces away from where the lone second floor body was located, looking for it. As soon as he picked the corpse from the rubble, Naruto's fox form apparated two extra arms which proceeded to rip apart the rubble from the roof, tossing it safely behind the building.

"This is certainly one way to do it…" Kemurido monotonously stated, a deadpan look on his face. 

A piece from the rubble flipped past Naruto's shoulder, and a look of panic crossed his face. Sakura lowered her hand into a fist, before bringing it up to the rubble as it dropped, causing that rubble to nearly disintegrate and scatter upwards around the building, landing harmlessly as chunks of dust. 

"Sorry about that, Sakura-chan," Naruto said. 

Sasuke placed the corpse on the ground. The body was that of an elderly woman, with a gash across her neck, dried blood coated and peeling from her neck. Her left arm was missing too, and the joint was exposed through her shirt. 

"This is just cruelty," Kemurido stated. 

"Too much," Sakura said through shaded eyes. Sasuke and Naruto continued their search through the building, simultaneously demolishing it, and pulling the bodies from the wreckage. Each one was a grotesque sight, and each was missing a body part, whether it be a jaw, arm, leg, or their ribs. 

After all eight bodies had been evacuated, Naruto started rushing the survivors, alongside Sakura, over to Ino, whilst Sasuke brought the corpse to Yamato in one trip. Kemurido looked around, residual energy still after-imaging in his eyes. He stepped to the well, noticing a group of sank in foot steps, but none were caused by metal greaves. 

He faintly saw four lights appearing in the ground below the well. Shikamaru, Temari, and Sai had finished their searches at this point, and had gone over towards Yamato with the last few corpses, one of which was missing their head.

Sakura rushed over to Kemurido. 

"Good news!" She hollered. "My parents aren't among the corpses! Isn't that…." She paused when she saw the look on his face, then looked at the well. "No…."

"Yes," he nodded. "Four more…."

"I'll go get…" she said, spinning around before he stepped up on the rock wall to the well, and dropped himself in. "Hold on a second!" She said only too late. 

She stood there for a moment before he surfaced, having jumped up, with two bodies, both appearing to be invaders, based on their metal greaves. One had a stab wound in their back, and a gash across their throat, while the other had singed clothes, and burns across the front of their body, bubbled up, and pussy. 

Kemurido descended once more, and the next time he surfaced, it was with one body, an older male, slung across his shoulder. 

As he set the body down, Sakura's face grew pale. The man's eyes were gone, but he had maroon hair, stylized like a cherry blossom. His body was torn up, and his fingernails and toenails were both missing. His arms and legs were contorted in angles that looked wrong. His ribs were crushed, and his neck was way too narrow. His stomach was cut open, most of his organs missing.

"Papa," Sakura sobbed, her eyes watering as she dropped to her knees in front of him. 

"I'm sorry," Kemurido apologized, before descending once more. 

When he returned, it was with the body of a woman that he gently laid before her, next to her father. 

The woman had grey streaks through her goldenrod colored hair that collected itself just between her eyebrows. The women's eyes were missing as well, and an incision had been made from both corners of her lips in either direction as far as it could be made before hitting bone. Her midriff was bruised, not cut open, but her chest had a hole through it, roughly 10 centimeters in diameter, her heart pulled out, and absent from the premises. 

Some of the phalanges from her hands had been pulled off, and the fingers that were still intact had their fingernails pulled from them. Same with her toes. The worst, though, was her lower body, covered in her own gore, clearly done while she was still alive. Her reproductive system had been completely cut out from her body, and there was swelling below it. Kemurido couldn't stand the sight himself and looked away. 

"Mama!" Sakura had completely bursted into tears, scraping her fingernails across the ground. Kemurido repositioned himself between where the others were and where she sobbed over the mutilated corpses of her parents, and mentally grasped the piece of Ino's mind still inside his head. 

_'Everyone except you is to keep their distance,'_ he instructed her. _'Sakura's parents are dead, and…. It's grisly.'_

 _'Oh, fuck,'_ Ino thought back to him, appreciating the link they had for the first time since it had been made. _'Any ideas?'_

 _'Extract the mental image, please, but I have some thoughts,'_ Kemurido once again advised her, sensing as she probed his visual memory, and cringed at the sight. 

_'That's awful!'_ She thought to him.

 _'Yeah. These two got the worst,'_ he said. _'And they were at the bottom of the well with, what I can only assume are, knights of Saishu Okoku… The Final Kingdom… Given that, and what I see, these two managed to kill the knights that had attacked them. The footprints around the well can be traced back to the inn… They tried to escape in the night afterwards, but there were too many.'_

 _'They cornered the two, and then had fun torturing them…'_ Kemurido suggested. _'Her mother was also violated for a while. Her entire reproductive system is gone, cut out while alive. The shock killed her though, considering the lack of bleeding that had occurred when her heart was ripped out. These aren't the only two who had parts of them ripped away from them either, and the missing pieces aren't in the well.'_

 _'That said, this was punishment…. And a warning to us… that fighting back will only make it more painful for us,'_ Kemurido finished.

 _'And they were dumped in the well, why?'_ Ino asked.

 _'Staging,'_ Kemurido answered. _'They were placed with the bodies of their attackers so that we knew that they were linked. Also, throwing a corpse into a well is a metaphor… 'poisoning the well,' I believe, since corpses often carry toxins. This was both to show that they think of us as nothing but garbage, and to warn us to be consumed by fear.'_

 _'Anything else?'_ Ino asked. 

_'Not at the moment,'_ Kemurido answered. _'I'm trying to let her grieve in peace.'_

 _'When she's done, I'll have Shikamaru help me take a look,'_ she replied. _'But it would seem that you have it figured out for the most part.'_

 _'What bothers me is all of the missing pieces…?'_ Kemurido stated. _'What is the purpose behind it?'_

 _'Who knows?'_ Ino asked. _'There's a lot we don't know about our enemy.'_

 _'Too much,'_ Kemurido admitted.

 _'Anyways, I'll pass along your message to the others,'_ Ino said.

 _'Thank you,'_ Kemurido said, letting go of the connection.

Kemurido kneels down, pressing his back to Sakura gently. 

"I'm really sorry that this has happened to you," he says to her. "I would've never asked for this to happen to you. I…. I wish I could take this pain you feel away. To bring it back onto myself and feel it doubled. If it would comfort you, I'd die to protect you, even if doing so meant you would forget me. If only I could undo what has been done, I would…. Yet all I can do is sit here and offer you my words and my promises, that may or may not ever come to pass."

"I… I don't want you to die for me," she sobs, bringing her hand back to overlap his. "I…. You're all I have left now…."

"You have your friends and your comrades," Kemurido said. "Aren't they every bit as much your family as your parents were?"

"... it's not the same," Sakura sobs.

"Then how should I be the exception?" Kemurido asked. "You're grieving, and I know that it feels like all is lost. I've been there. But I promise you, you'll be okay. You're a strong woman."

"The words you've said," Sakura chuckled a little between tears. "I've said ones quite similar in the past."

"Heh," Kemurido chuckled slightly. "I can only guess who those words were spoken for. But either way, take your time to grieve. It's important to let it all out, and I'll be right here with you."

"You really are-" Sakura started.

"If you're about to compliment me, please, don't," Kemurido cut her off. "Just… please leave it for now."

She nodded and gripped his hand, letting the tears start to swell in her eyes once more, as the tide of emotions consumed her. 

A good couple of hours passed before Ino approached, during which time Kemurido had kept the buzzards at bay with sharp glares and a couple of senbon thrown with his spare hand. 

Ino looked down at the two of them. 

"Sakura, are you ready for the funeral?" Ino asked, biting her lip. 

"Can I have just a little while longer?" Sakura asked, still struggling with the thought of leaving them.

"There is another option that Yamato-sensei proposed….," Ino said, waiting a moment before continuing. "He could make two caskets for them. Shikamaru and Temari have agreed to return to the village and summon them back so that they may rest at home where they belong."

Silence sat between the three of them for a minute. 

"Can you request they be put in cold storage?" Kemurido asked Ino. Sakura's head jolted around so quickly, one would've expected her to have given herself whiplash.

"Wha- why?" Sakura asked.

"They deserve an autopsy done," Kemurido answered. "I have a general idea of what happened, but I think they deserve a closer look from a medical practitioner, and beyond that, we have very little time to prepare… there's going to be a war, and you're going to want to be in the right state of mind for the funeral, so cold storage would allow us to hold that off until the war is over."

"What if we lose?" Sakura asked, downtrodden.

"Then burying them wouldn't have mattered because these people seem like they're out for blood," Kemurido responded.

"Then what's the plan?" Ino asked him.

"I'm thinking that the rest of us spread out, try to find as many allies as we can across the five nations… and everywhere in between," Kemurido suggested. "There's two places I want to visit anyways, for this reason. Based on whisperings I've heard, I think it would be a bright idea. Then Sakura and I will stop by Sunagakure, to forge the last piece of the treaty for my village, then I'll return home to report, and Sakura has already volunteered to take a look at my aunt, Lady Nouhime…"

"I'm…" Ino started.

"You'll stay with Sasuke," Kemurido interrupted her. "To keep a channel of communication open. Naruto is probably best with the other two, or otherwise with Sasuke."

"We'll iron out the details once this has been decided on," Ino tipped her head downwards.

"Yeah…" Kemurido said, sliding his hand out from under Sakura's, then placing it on top of it and gripping. "You need to make the call, Sakura," he said gently, in a soft, but very raspy tone. 

"I…. Yes…. Cold storage it is," she finally answered after a long pause. "But, let me find something to cover them with first." She stood up and launched herself in the direction of the inn. 

"Go tell Yamato, but be sure he knows to wait for my thumbs up," he told Ino. 

"Okay," Ino nodded. 

Kemurido bolted after Sakura who had barely entered the inn when the entrance collapsed. Kemurido instinctively activated his Bishyamonten to pick up his pace, and tore through the debris. Sakura wasn't underneath them, but he knew that the structure was unstable, and very much ready to collapse at any moment. He stepped in further, and closed his eyes but for a moment, trying to focus in hopes of hearing her footsteps, and when he pinpointed them, he hurried in that direction. He found Sakura with two dirty shower curtains in her hands. 

"Rido, you're," she started to say, but the structure around her was starting to creak. Kemurido grabbed her, and launched the two of them into the air, breaking through the ceiling, and ended up landing outside along the back wall of the inn, where he continued to run a few meters. The inn completely collapsed behind them. Kemurido exhaled loudly.

"That was close," Kemurido sighed just now catching his breath, the adrenaline starting to wear off. 

"Too close," Sakura said, softly. "You came after me…"

"You ran into, perhaps, the worst building to attempt to search," Kemurido said. "That inn didn't have long to stand, and Sasuke and Naruto's demolition of the second floor didn't help it out." 

"So… you expected…?" Sakura started to ask, stopping herself when she saw him nodding. "I'm sorry."

"You're a smart girl, Sakura," Kemurido complimented her. "You just allowed yourself to become overwhelmed with emotion is all."

"Yeah…" she said. 

"Now, come one," he patted her on the back. "Let's go bring those shower curtains to your parents."

"Yes," she nodded, tears collecting at the corners of her eyes. He held a hand on her left shoulder as he let her lead the way around the wreckage, back to the other side, and towards her parents. 

When they got to the corpses, Kemurido helped her wrap their bodies in the dirty curtains, one at a time. When they were wrapped, Kemurido pointed a finger to the sky, and sent a bolt of lightning up from his index finger.

Yamato nodded as he, Temari, and Shikamaru began to approach. Shikamaru walked sluggishly in front of Teemari, who puffed her cheeks out, and kicked him in the spine.

"Could you possibly move any slower?" She snapped at him.

"What the hell?" He snapped back. "Why are you walking behind me if you're going to complain?"

"Someone has to bring up the rear to motivate you!" She snarled.

"Oh, and so it has to be you?" Shikamaru bit back.

"ENOUGH!" Kemurido shouted across the area. "This is _not_ the time to be arguing about stupid stuff. We have a war approaching, that will threaten our survival. If you can't shape up, you may as well lay down and die! Now, get your miserable asses over here and help us out."

"Gee, don't have to be so bossy," Shikamaru complained scratching his shoulder.

Temari circled around him, grabbing his left ear and pulling, forcing him to move quicker. "He wouldn't have to if you'd just motivate yourself."

"Ugh, that hurts! Come on! Ow!" Shikamaru complained, whining the whole time.

Yamato sighed as Temari passed him, but picked up his pace to stay right behind them. As they three came close, they all bowed in turn to Sakura. 

"That's really not necessary right now," Sakura cringed, the tears still visible in her eyes. 

"Sakura-chan, if we don't do it now, we may not have another chance," Yamato explained.

"Call it 'being prepared for the worst, and acting accordingly'," Shikamaru suggested.

"I'm just doing what I think is right," Temari said, standing straight again, and shrugging. 

"Anyways…." Yamato looked at Sakura. "Farewells all said?"

Sakura nodded, a wet streak coming down her face. 

"Okay," Yamato kneeled down on one knee and clasped his hands together. "Mokuton: Shirakaba kyu (White Birch Coffin)."

White birch branches sprouted from the ground, and started to encase the two of them, snaking around them until the bodies were completely concealed in what looked like a cocoon, which still exhibited signs of movement for only a few seconds longer. Yamato waited a few more seconds, then stepped back, as the roots that came out of the ground severed themselves, leaving two caskets. 

Temari crouched down next, biting her thumb then pressing it to the ground. "Kuchiyose no jutsu," she said, pressing her thumb to the ground. 

A cloud of smoke proofed up behind her, and out of it stepped a large white weasel. The weasel had an olive green cloth around its head, covering one eye, and wore a red and black traditional vest. It looked down towards Temari.

"Would you mind holding these caskets for us, Kamatari?" She asked the weasel, who nodded, digging his front claws into the tops of each coffin, and perching himself there before disappearing with the coffins in tow.

The other four now approached, and as each came close, they bowed to Sakura before taking up a position until everyone stood in a circle.

"How are the survivors?" Kemurido asked Ino.

"They're stable," she said. "All of them are missing something though, and none can remember losing it."

"But for them to be alive, it can't have been vital," Sakura whispered.

"Correct," Ino responded. "Mostly limbs, or pieces of surgically removed skin."

"Surgically?" Kemurido asked. "Almost like they were _trying_ to be precise."

"Yes," Ino nodded.

"Shikamaru, could you bring that information to Kakashi and Tsunade when you reach the village?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah, I guess so," Shikamaru, once again, complained.

"Will you stop whining?" Temari asked. "Anyways, we'll head out. I'll send a hawk to Gaara, letting him know what's going on. Which direction are you heading, Kemurido-dono?"

"Amegakure," he answered, which made Sasuke glance over at him, but Sasuke lowered his gaze.

"I'll let him know," she said, tossing her fan forward and unfolding it at the same time as she pulls on Shikamaru who falls backwards onto the thing. The two glide off.

"Anyways, what now then?" Sasuke asked. "You said you were heading to Amegakure."

"Sakura and I, yes," Kemurido answered. "There are rumors I wish to investigate."

"Might I know of these rumors, and the certain old man involved?" Sasuke asked.

"Well…" Kemurido smiled. "I believe you do."

"Very well then," Sasuke said. "Ino and I shall head for Orochimaru's hideout. I want to check in with him and the others. See what Haruka-chan is working on."

"Sounds like a plan, but I planned on stopping there too in regards to Konan," Kemurido replied. 

"Then we'll look into a lead I had heard of from the Land of Iron instead," Sasuke compromised. "And we'll rendezvous at Orochimaru's hideout in two weeks time."

"Sounds good," Kemurido replied. "Just, if you're going that way, try to warn Mifune of the samurai of what is going on."

"We're not exactly on friendly terms," Sasuke chuckled.

"I'll let him know," Ino shook her head.

"I'll stay here, as ordered and start rebuilding," Yamato replied, making a hand gesture before walking off to get started.

"Then what about me?" Naruto asked. 

"You and Sai should go to Shinjuku or Aoi island," Kemurido suggested. "Look into arranging water transport from there. From there, you can either wait for the rest of us, or move on to finding passage to Sea Country, due south of the Land Of Tea.."

"I get to be stuck with him?" Naruto glared at Sai through the corners of his eyes.

"Be good, Naruto," Sasuke teased. "You have to get along with everyone if you want to be Hokage."

"What- but…. Dattebayo…" Naruto's shoulders dropped as he expressed his physical resentment of his situation. The whole group laughed at him. "All right, let's get going. But be careful what you say."

"I will be as friendly as your neighbor's dog," Sai smiled.

"The neighbor's dog who attacks me every time I walk by?" Naruto asked, as the two started to walk toward the south end of the village.

"You don't have a neighbor with a friendly dog?" Sai asked.

"No!" Naruto shouted. 

The two continued to bicker.

"We'll also head out," Sasuke said. 

"Can't wait to see you guys again," Ino jeered. 

"Well, we're going almost the same direction," Kemurido suggested. "So why don't we travel together for a while?"

"Perhaps it'd be better if we didn't," Sasuke suggested, starting to walk away, almost leaving Ino behind before she turned to start following. Kemurido chuckled and ran in the direction they were moving, Sakura taking off in a sprint right behind him. 

"Fine, have it your way," Sasuke said, stopping to let Kemurido slow down and stop beside him. 

The four of them continued north, out of the tiny village, and followed the road. 

  
  


###############################

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [This chapter also took a while to write, but that's more because of stuff going on in my personal life and having to squeeze small sessions of writing into time periods where I could. Anyways, hope you're still enjoying it.  
> Next time, it's the Hyugas turn.]


	13. Chapter 12: Kazoku no Mondai (Family Matters)

Neji pushed aside a stack of freshly signed paperwork. Most of it was matters regarding finances of the clan, or otherwise politics within the household. Things had been such a whirlwind for him since his adopted father's passing. He could still remember Hiashi's last four words, "Live well…. my… son."

Neji shook his head and took a deep breath, the scent of orchids and ink traveling into his nostrils. The small study often smelled as such, at least since he had become the head of the clan. He had made it a point to keep this room twice as clean as his predecessor had. At the moment though, Neji was in need of a break. He had already gone through most of the accounting this morning, and it had only been a couple of hours since sunrise. 

He stood up and stretched, closing his eyes as he did before taking a stroll out of the study. He entered a long hall, with bamboo paper walls and ebony floors, thick framework visible through the walls like veins or bones through ailing skin. He turned to the right, his steps little more than soft thuds across the floor boards, and dying down before the sound could reach the walls. 

He soon found himself entering a room at the end of the hall, bringing him to an outdoor corridor that led to a small hut with an open ceiling. The scent of bird droppings could be smelled as he approached, his nostrils curling in disgust. He entered anyways.

Inside was a single hawk among a dole of doves, with a small piece of parchment, folded, and tied by ribbon to its left leg, a sign of urgency. This bird was one used by the Hokage's office. He inhaled before untying the ribbon, and collecting the parchment, giving a whistle when he had retrieved it. The bird flew off, and returned to where it had come to. 

He opened the parchment, and read the contents, sighing as he finished. Footsteps were heard behind him, just outside the hut. He turned, and opened the door slowly. A young lady with brown hair stood there, a sudden look of surprise on her face. 

"Onii-san," Hanabi bowed.

"You can call me by my name, if it pleases you, Hanabi-chan," Neji recommended. "It's been over a year. I'd hoped you'd be more familiar with me by now."

"My apologies, Neji-sama," Hanabi corrected herself, curtsying in response. 

"Do not fret, Hanabi-chan," Neji replied. "Actually, your timing couldn't be better."

"What's going on, Neji-sama?" Hanabi asked.

"I've just received an urgent summons from the Hokage's office," Neji answered. "Would you please take care of the matters in the household while I am gone?"

Hanabi's eyes widened. "You're asking me?"

"I can't trust the elders," Neji stated bluntly. "Many of them are still dissatisfied with my presence as head of the clan. Nor can I truly be two places at once, and I wouldn't dare split my attention through use of a clone jutsu."

"Hinata, then?" Hanabi asked.

"She's not really well suited for conflict," Neji protested. "She managed in the war because it was for Naruto, but ordinarily, she backs down too easily… and with the history I caused her… her heart probably wouldn't be able to handle it. I damaged it far too much back then… out of anger, I confess…"

"You underestimate my sister when she puts her mind to a task," Hanabi rejected his excuse.

"If the elders put pressure on her for any reason in my absence, she'd crack," Neji countered. "You have to acknowledge that much."

"I'll do as you ask," Hanabi curtsied once more. "But I still think you're underestimating her."

"Thank you very much, dear sister," Neji bowed, before placing a hand on her shoulder, and moving past her, walking quickly down the rest of the hall. He paused only for a moment at the front door to put his sandals on before stepping out into the front gardens.

He followed the cobblestone path through the gardens to the main roads, then proceeded north. The village was livelier than usual today, despite the fresh layer of mud on the ground. 

He applied a layer of chakra to the soles of his sandals to avoid sinking in as he stepped. A few of the villagers eyed him as he passed, not used to seeing him in such formal attire, as he was currently wearing an off-white yukata, and taupe hakama. 

Yesterday's clouds had all but disappeared from the sky, and the sun was bright enough that he lowered his forehead protector just enough to act as a visor. 

"Neji!" A woman's voice shouted to him from behind. He paused just long enough for the wet footsteps to catch up to him.

"Hello, Tenten," he said causally to her, turning his head only enough to look at her through the corners of his eyes, not flinching an inch as she wrapped her arms around him. 

"What are you up to?" She asked him. 

"I'm on the way to the Hokage's office. He summoned me," he explained to her, before handing her the parchment. 

"I'm coming with you, then," Tenten smiled. "No reason I can't, right?"

"I can't see any harm in it," Neji smiled gently. A part of him always felt a sudden rush of warmth when she was around, in a place where he usually felt shame for the person he used to be. 

"Anyways, how have things been at the house?" Tenten asked. 

"Hectic," he answered. "The elders have had it out for me since day one, but I haven't given up, and my sisters need to slow down on their spending. We're safe, but I shudder to think what the future of the clan looks like if they keep spending so generously…"

"I…" Tenten found it difficult to even think about what to say. "You need someone with a stronger will in the house to keep them in line," she finally managed to force out.

"Are you volunteering?" He asked, his expression staying the same.

"What?!" Tenten asked, blushing, but despite that, her hips slightly swayed. 

"You sounded like you had confidence in your abilities, so I thought I'd ask if you wanted the job…." Neji explained. "I guess you'd be the secretary…"

"... I could be okay with that," she said, her head dropping when she heard the word "secretary".

"Chin up," Neji told her. "Gai would make you do laps if he saw you like this."

"You're right!" She yelled, perking up, her head shooting from side to side, making sure there was no way he could see her.

"Relax. You know he's in the hospital," Neji reassured her. 

"I know, but the thought of him sending me for laps just makes me paranoid," Tenten explained. 

"Just don't think about it," Neji advised. "You know he's in no position to do laps himself."

"It would be helpful if  _ someone _ didn't bring it up," Tenten sneered with a playful attitude. 

"Maybe," Neji smirked, chuckling softly. He was always very soft with his emotions, except anger, and that was a beast he had conquered only a couple years ago. 

The two of them walked and chatted on their way to the Hokage's mansion. Halfway there, Tenten tucked her hands behind her neck, with her elbows to the sky. 

As they approached the mansion, the guards at the front door kneeled, acknowledging Neji and Tenten, before letting them in. Neji recognized both of them from the chunin exams, Hagane Kotetsu and Kamizuki Izumo. He nodded to each in turn as he walked through the threshold.

The inside was organized, and a faint scent of dandelions hung in the air. Portraits lined the walls leading down the first floor corridors, each depicting a previous Hokage, or another noteworthy leaf shinobi. Across from each other were the images of Hiashi and Hizashi, and right after them were the images of Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui. 

They came to an L-shaped staircase, and on the first landing was a very different portrait, of a man that looked like Kakashi, but more cheerful, and without the face mask or scar. "Hatake Sakumo" was the name on the plaque underneath. 

"Rokudaime-sama's father," Tenten explained. "'Konoha's White Fang', they called him. He passed away shortly after the 3rd shinobi war. He was ostracized at the time for prioritizing the lives of his comrades over his objectives."

"It was a different time," Neji responded. "Today, he'd be held up as the moral pillar of a leaf shinobi."

"He should've been," Kakashi's raspy voice spoke, coming down the stairs. "I'm happy to hear you say that." Kakashi smiled with just his eyes. "Please, though, we have a few things to discuss, Neji-sama."

"No need for the formalities, Rokudaime-sama," Neji smirked. The two followed him to the office. 

"So, before I speak too much," Kakashi said, closing the door behind him. He swiftly glided to his chair. "Can I ask you to keep something to yourselves for at least a little while? I'll be making the announcement tomorrow, but I want this between us for now."

"My lips are sealed," Neji said.

Tenten, on the other hand, was twitching nervously. 

"Tenten agrees too," Neji spoke up.

"Did you just…?!" Tenten flipped out.

"Tenten, you'll be with me the rest of the day," Neji interrupted. "And if you try to say anything to the others, I'll just cut you off… again." 

"You're incorrigible," Tenten slumped in place. 

"Just relax, Tenten," Neji said, then turned to Kakashi. "Anyways, you were saying."

"Last night, there was an altercation between Kemurido and Sasuke," Kakashi said. Neji and Tenten both looked at him in surprise. "According to Pakkun, Kemurido would've killed him had Naruto not arrived in time to stop him, and there's no telling how the fight would've gone had Sakura not arrived minutes later. 

"Turns out, Kemurido was manipulated by his older brother, Gakitsuki Kirichou, into believing Sasuke had massacred their clan."

"That's….!" Neji started, then bit his tongue. He noted the similarities there between the two simply based on what Kakashi had said.

"Kirichou apparently has the ability to mimic a person's chakra signature," Kakashi explains. "After that, he disappeared, but not before proclaiming the arrival of war on the horizon. Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, Kemurido, as well as Sai, Ino, Temari, Shikamaru, and Yamato all took off around midnight to check on the implied wreckage of a town in the Land of Rivers with the thought in mind that citizens of Konoha may be present in that village.

"This morning, Shikamaru and Temari returned, and brought back a pair of caskets, confirming our worst fears," Kakashi continued. "The bodies of two respected members of our community who had retired early to care for their child."

"Kizashi and Mebuki, right?" Neji asked, surprised he could remember the names of Sakura's parents.

"Very good guess," Kakashi stated, an eyebrow raised. 

"You avoided using their names, and Sakura-chan's parents are the only ones that made sense as the rest of the group have all lost their parents some time ago," Neji speculated. "It was simple to 'see beyond the seen,' as was once put to me what a ninja must be capable of."

"That's…." Kakashi acknowledged Neji's dedication to his fundamentals. "Anyways…. Konohagakure would like to request that, seeing as how the Hyuga Clan is the most wealthy clan in the village, if we could request aide with the funding needed to keep the bodies of Sakura's parents on ice? Tsunade has already agreed to do a thorough autopsy to see what she can find out, and on her own dime, but the cold storage is still yet to be figured out."

"If it's for any of your students, you already know my answer, Kakashi-sama," Neji replied, bowing to the man. 

"Who exactly are we at war with?" Tenten asked, her restraint failing her at just the right moment.

"Kirichou said two names, but neither shows up in any of our records," Kakashi answered vaguely.

"Forgive my stubbornness, Kakashi-sama," Neji bowed again. "But if you tell me the names, I can personally search the Hyuga archives to see if there's anything there. The Hyuga  _ do  _ have the largest archives in the village, as you know. If anything is to be found, it's in the archives."

A young lady steps out from behind a curtain. She wore a black headband, with a metal plate bearing the Kazangakure insignia on it. Her hair was neat, and black, and her bangs were cut at the brow. Four metallic arms seemed to come from beneath her navy blue riding cape, one of which stroked her chin, as her real arms were folded across her chest, over her white and gray patterned sweatshirt. She wore black spandex leggings, with bronze flanks belted to either hip. Pouches lined both legs. 

"Not likely," the young lady spoke in a aggressive, but smooth and elegant voice. "Most of the world's history has been lost to ninety-five percent of the Lands of the Shinobi for fifteen-hundred years. Only Kazangakure has remained dedicated to preserving ALL history, in factual antiquity, for the last millennium. Our founders, Gakitsuki Yoh, Manjumaru Tohoku, and Fushitori'i Ouko set that ground work. The Fushitori'i observe, the Gakitsuki protect the secrets, and my family writes down the history, unaltered, and uncensored."

"Forgive her rudeness," Kakashi squints at her interruption. "This is Manjumaru Manako, the heiress to Kazangakure's Manjumaru tribe… who are the scribes for the secretary to the land of Wildfires…. Or so I'm told."

"I'd be surprised if you found anything in your archives," she stuck her nose up after speaking. "But, if you're offering, I could help you look. After all, my hands can turn a hundred pages at the same time, and my eyes can skim every one of those in a matter of seconds."

"That's… impressive," Tenten said nervously, trying not to be rude, scratching her cheek. "How old are you?"

" _ Are you implying I'm a child?! _ " Manako screeched in response. "I'll have you know that I am the ripe age of eighteen!"

"I wouldn't have ever guessed…." Tenten's face shows her frustration. 

"Tenten," Neji said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder, and looking into her eyes. A rush of warmth flows through Tenten, and she relaxes. Neji then turns to Manako.

"If you would like to help, that would be appreciated," Neji bowed. "I'm sure we'd get through it in no time with your eyes to help us out."

"You're Goddamn right we would," she jeered. 

"And the names we'd be looking for?" Neji asked. 

"The Tentaiyou clan, and something about Saishu Okoku," Kakashi spoke evenly, demonstrating that he was used to this kind of ridiculousness. "If you find anything that could help, I would be very grateful."

"What're the others doing right now," Tenten asked.

"We know that Sakura and Kemurido were heading to Amegakure for something. Yamato sent a bird, apparently after they left, telling that Sasuke and Ino are with them. Naruto and Sai are heading south to the shore in attempt to arrange a boat, then either wait around, or head for Sea Country. Yamato stayed at the village to rebuild the village for future villagers," Kakashi explained. 

"Sounds like Rido-kun is preparing to take a trip back to the village, and in the months leading up to Shusoku no Tsuki (Moon Convergence)," Manako smirked, the metallic index finger tugging at her bottom lip.

"Shusoku no Tsuki?" Neji asked. 

"Can't tell you about it," Manako teased, winking at him. Tenten's face puffed out in anger upon seeing this. "Village secret, and only a Gakitsuki has the right to tell."

"I'd think that, given the circumstances, you'd be more apt to tell us," Neji tried reasoning. 

Manako sighed, then stuck out her tongue, which only enraged Tenten more until Neji placed his arm in front of her. If she tried moving forward her left boob would end up in his palm she then realized why he stopped her, or part of it anyways.

Manako had a marking on her tongue. It wasn't like anything Neji had seen. He guessed it was a seal.

"That looks more… Archaic than the Divination Seal Spells we use," Neji chanced at addressing it.

"It is," Manako admitted. "And more potent. Village secrets are protected this way. We, of course, consent to these seals being placed. Then again, it's our only path to becoming a ninja, so… but I get why it's necessary."

"Does Kemurido, also…?" Tenten began to ask, before piecing together what Manako said, and shaking her head. "Nevermind."

"He's one of only three living people who actively leave the village that don't have the seal placed on their tongue," Manako explained. "Another is his brother, who hasn't been back to the village in seven years, and even that was just a visit."

"Last is Lady Nouhime, the current Kaibunkage," Kakashi explained. "Who is in ailing health, if I'm not mistaken." 

"Indeed," Manako confirmed. "She used her newly awakened Mangekyou Sharingan a lot on  _ that  _ night, and it didn't go over so well for her."

"So that's what happened," Kakashi confirmed aloud. 

"Yes," Manako nodded. 

"With your permission, Kakashi-sama…" Neji cut in, referencing a desire to take his leave.

"Granted," Kakashi nodded. "Manako-chan, please follow them."

"Only because you asked oh so politely," she giggled. Her metal arms folded into her cape, concealing themselves as she approached the two turning leaf ninja, who were already working their way out of the room. The party of three made their way out of the Hokage's mansion, and began strolling down the street. 

The streets, despite being the same as they were, felt even more barren than before, with what Neji and Tenten had just learned. As Neji looked around, flashing images of flames, and buildings torn apart by war passed before him. Bodies strewn out across the street ravaged his imagination. His head started to ache, and he put a hand to his temple. 

Tenten looked at him, but Neji put his other hand up before suddenly collapsing. Tenten managed to catch him as he fell, and Manako helped her keep him off of the ground. Neji soon after lost consciousness.

(##############################)

Neji found himself staring into a void. Below him was the image of the ruined village. In the far distance he could see the far edges of the continent, and thousands of lights going out all at once. Screams could be heard all around. Why was he seeing this?

"Hello, Neji," a voice that sounded almost like Hiashi's, but younger, somehow, addressed him, approaching from behind. Neji looked back, and saw his father, Hizashi's face, but it was veiled. Black and purple markings swayed beneath Hizashi's grey shirt, and one of his eyes was missing. As Hizashi moved, the sound of shackles moving through puddles could be heard.

"Father," Neji breathed. "What's…"

"You're awakening, my son," Hizashi told him. "The proof is in the fact that I am here now."

"Awakening to what?" Neji asked. 

"In time," Hizashi answered vaguely, before sinking to the ground below. Neji could do nothing but scream at him, and watch as Hizashi descended to the earth, and as he touched the ground, a white light flushed the darkness, blinding Neji.

#########################

When Neji woke, it was already starting to get dark out. He peered up at Tenten, who sat over him with concern in her eyes, and holding his hand. 

He had jolted awake, and was covered in a deep sweat. 

Hinata entered the room with a tray, a stonework cup, and a bamboo bowl on it, a glass bottle hidden behind the cup. The scent of white tea, cinnamon, ginger, star anise, cardamom, peppercorn, and clove permeated his nostrils, wafting from the cup, and overtaking the scent of the broth that was there. 

"Hanabi prepared dinner and tea for you, Nii-san," Hinata said shyly. "And Shizune-chan left some medicine."

"You had a low grade fever," Tenten said. "Your blood pressure dropped, apparently. Shizune's not sure if it were related or not, but she took a sample of blood to look at."

"Is that white chai?" Neji asked Hinata.

"Um… yes," Hinata blushed. "I picked it out for you."

"That was very thoughtful," Neji smirked. "Thank you Hina-chan."

"N-no problem, Nii-san," Hinata stammered, placing the tray at his lap as Tenten helped him sit up.

"Where's Manako-chan?" Neji asked. Tenten rolled her eyes at the question. 

"She's in the archives," Tenten answered. "Hinata and Hanabi pushed for her to get clearance to go through them. The elders yielded when Hinata spoke up."

"It seems I owe you an apology, Hina-chan," Neji smiled softly. 

"N-no need," Hinata said, flailing her hands. "Um, I'm going to go see if Manako-chan needs anything." Hinata said, bowing before taking her leave. 

Neji looked down. In the bowl was a vegetable beef stew, with some napa cabbage, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, carrots, chunks of wagyu beef, and small cubes of tofu, with two halves of a boiled egg placed over the broth. 

He grabbed the chopsticks he hadn't seen before, took a carrot between them, some cabbage draping off the top, and placed it in his mouth. After his first bite, he turns to Tenten. 

"Did Shizune-sama have anything else to say?" Neji asked her.

"She said it wasn't pretty," Tenten said, trying to be more vague than Shizune had, considering Neji was eating. 

"What wasn't?" Neji asked innocently.

"Sakura-chan's…." Tenten trailed off as Neji took another bite, this time of a water chestnut and bamboo shoot. As recognition dawned on him, he coughed once, and if not for Tenten's quick reflexes, would have ended up spilling his tray all over her lap. 

"Oh god," Neji wheezed. "Really bad?" 

"Yes," Tenten answered. "Very."

"Poor Sakura," Neji said, closing his eyes, and reaching for his tea this time. He took a sip and let the scent and flavor fill his nose and mouth, before swallowing. He opened his eyes again. "I hope Manako-chan finds something…" 

"We both do," Tenten scoffed.  _ 'Then maybe she'll go the hell away and let us be,'  _ she thought to herself.

The two sat in silence as Neji ate, Tenten helping him where she could, blushing only slightly everytime she had to correct the tray that sat on his lap. 

Once the food was eaten, Tenten assisted him in transferring his tea to his nightstand, the glass bottle now in plain view before Tenten attempts to move that to the nightstand too.

"What's that?" Neji asked.

"Medicine," Tenten answered. "Supposed to help with the fever." 

"Hand it over," Neji said, holding a hand out. She placed it in his palm. He uncapped it and swigged down the small, one dose bottle. 

His hand instantly shot for the tea, trying to erase the incredible bitter taste from his mouth.

He took a large gulp of the still-hot tea in his mouth and swallowed hard, ignoring the burning. He then slowly placed the, now quarter full, stone cup down on the nightstand just in time for Manako to burst in with two very aged scrolls in hand, and one very new time. 

She placed the time on his lap. 

"You're going to want to look at page two hundred twenty seven," Manako said.

"Hopefully something on Saishu Okoku," Neji said.

"No, Tentaiyou," Manako retorted. 

Neji cocked his head, then looked at the cover. It was the family registry. "Who?"

"You," Manako countered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N] I did not intend for this to take as long as it had. Life has been hectic, and I'm finding trouble finding the time to type. Either way, I hope you enjoyed this. Manako's a curious one, right? Lol   
> I based her abilities off of Senjumaru Shutara from Bleach's Squad Zero, but she's more than that.   
> Also, how about that mystery regarding Neji? What have we to learn?  
> Next time, Sasuke and Ino head to the Land of Iron.


	14. Chapter 13: Cloth and Steel (Nuno to Hagane)

_ ~Five Days Later~ _

  
  


Sasuke and Ino had left Kemurido and Sakura behind four days ago on their way through Amegakure. The two were now neck deep in the Land of Iron. Sasuke had advised Ino to move carefully, as he wasn't sure how Mifune would treat him were he found here. 

The two had ridden on Garuda most of the way, however, Sasuke had made Garuda land a few kilometers short of the border. A giant bird like him would draw attention, and he didn't want that, so they had walked the rest of the way. 

Snow covered woods stretched for miles around them, hiding crags and ridges in the landscape behind them. 

Beyond them were bridges and hills, as the horizon spread further outwards to more populated areas. Further to the west was the destination Sasuke had in mind. Ino was quite displeased, quite unprepared for the weather. Her midriff and thighs had been a bright red for sometime, being nipped at by a gentle breeze then buffeted her with snow particulates. 

"How much further do we need to go, Sasuke!" She whined, flustered and shivering. She gripped her bare shoulders. 

"If you're freezing, just change into warmer clothes," Sasuke said apathetically. "I warned you while we were still In the Land Of Earth that you may want to dress warm."

"At the time I was sweating!" Ino snapped back. "And you expect me to change in the middle of the woods?!"

"I'll turn away," he dismissed her gripe.

"That's not the point!" Ino yelled.

"If you want privacy, I can summon Aoda, and have him shield you," Sasuke offered. "Otherwise, just form a dome out of mud for a moment."

"You want to summon a snake to shield me!?" Ino asked, slightly uncomfortable with the suggestion.

"I don't want to, but there are hardly other ways I could reasonably solve it," Sasuke argued.

"There's gotta be another alternative!" Ino squealed. 

"I'm afraid not," Sasuke answered with a sigh. "We're two miles away from the closest town."

"But, aren't snakes cold-blooded!" Ino whined, feigning concern for Aoda. 

"I gave you options, you can pick one, or you can deal with the cold," Sasuke brushed off her false concern.

"But… I can't use Doton…" Ino countered, the one alternative Sasuke had offered just now registering in her head.

"You did during the war," Sasuke responded.

"I… that was instinctive," Ino stammered. "My body just acted on its own."

"Doesn't matter," Sasuke replied. "Means you could."

"I…. Just summon the goddamned snake!" Ino shouted at him, fed up with the cold. 

"As you wish," Sasuke said, biting his right thumb before pressing it to a tree. 

In the next instant that very tree, as well as many around it were crushed by the large, dark colored snake. The snake landed in a circle around Ino, looking at Sasuke in a confused manner.

"Aoda, I just need you to shield her from sight and the wind for a second," Sasuke explained, nodding towards Ino, who was inside a dome of scaly, contorted flesh.

Ino shivered in disgust. Snakes weren't exactly her thing, and she wasn't happy about this, but she shrugged it off, reaching into a pouch of hers. She pulled out a summoning scroll, and, after piercing one of her thumbs, pressed a thumb to one particular glyph. The glyph produced some pants, and some under clothes that Ino had made a point to keep in the scroll under worst case scenarios like this. 

She quickly stripped her other clothes, putting the new ones on, before placing the previous clothes on the next layer up from the warm ones. She now looked almost the same, except the skin that had been showing was now covered in a black, thin, but heavy, triple-layered cloth, and a hood was sticking out the back of her collar. 

She pulled the hood over her head whilst tucking her ponytail into her shirt. 

Her final move was to touch one more glyph, which produced a pair of boots that she traded with her sandals. When she had gotten the boots on she clapped her hands and called out. 

"Sasuke-kun! I'm done!" Ino shouted.

"Did you hear something," Sasuke asked Aoda.

"I think the young lady is done changing," Aoda rolled his eyes. 

"Is that so? Let her sit there for three more minutes, then I release you," Sasuke sneered. 

Ino complained for the next five minutes, even after Aoda had returned. 

"Why would you do that?!" Ino shouted.

"To familiarize you with your changing room for the foreseeable future," Sasuke answered. 

"You're mean!" Ino complained.

"No, you're just annoying," Sasuke dismissed her accusation.

"Hmph!" Ino grunted, shoving her nose upwards and turning away from him. 

The two walked for the remainder of the day in silence, until a young deer ran across their path, which Sasuke killed with two shuriken. 

"Why…?" Ino asked, suddenly shocked.

"Dinner," Sasuke answered. "You can pretend you're not hungry, but I've heard the growling."

Ino blushed. "If you don't want to watch me skin it, go see if you can find any brush or herbs."

"O...okay," Ino nodded, turning around and taking off. Sasuke got to skinning the poor fawn. 

Minutes later, Ino was on her way back, a bundle in her arms, when she noticed footprints in the snow that didn't belong to her nor Sasuke. 

It was too late though, because an armored man had managed to get behind her, pressing the tip of a curved blade against her spine. 

"Why are you here?" The muffled voice of the other asked.

"We're looking into something, a lead," Ino answered panicking. 

"'We'? So you  _ are _ here with Uchiha Sasuke?" He pressed.

"Y-yes," Ino answered.

The blade came from her spine. "Mifune has requested I bring both of you before him if that is the case," he answered, reaching for his helm. "My name is Zantaro." The helmet came off to reveal a face with three parallel scars over his left eye, beady black eyes, and black, but messy hair. 

"Yamanaka Ino," Ino introduced herself nervously. 

"Don't be so stiff," Zantaro grimaced. "We're not going to kill you or anything."

"Oh… okay," Ino gulped. The two took steps towards the north. Ino could not hear any signs of resistance from Sasuke, who should've been close. With that in mind, Ino went along with the samurai behind her. 

Within a half hour, she had rejoined Sasuke, who was being escorted by another two samurai, neither of whom had removed their helmet. 

"You too, huh?" Sasuke teased Ino.

"You mean you aren't going willingly?" Ino asked.

"I mean, I am, but I wasn't expecting to be caught off guard," Sasuke shrugged. 

"Why is it that you only smile when you're in a pinch?" Ino loudly commented on the change in his demeanor. "Actually, please don't answer that one."

"Zantaro, did you see any others?" The samurai to Sasuke's left asked, a woman's voice echoing out through her kabuto (Samurai helmet). 

"None, Shiro," Zantaro answered. "And no signs of others either."

"Then, next is for the meeting with Mifune," the third said, a cracked voice whistling from the third kabuto.

"Exacta!" Zantaro jeered sarcastically, then glared at the third. "We've already gone through this, Oodaki-Jiisan."

"Respect your elders, brat!" the cracked voice snapped back. 

"Uzendayo! (Shut up!)" The lady named Shiro snapped at both of the others. 

Random bits of arguing like this would continue as the three samurai, blonde Kunoichi, and raven haired ronin (usually refers to a self trained samurai, but in the Naruto-verse, refers to Rogue Ninja) made their way North-West. The woods cleared out to show snow covered crags and dips in the surface. 

Frozen rivers weaved between the crags, and traditional wooden bridges spread over the top of them. In the center of the clear aired space produced here was a half-oval platform of stone, and as the group walked over it, stained rock shows the history of the bloody outlines of a pair of sandals frantically running away from their would be killer. Sasuke's eyes closed when he saw them. 

_ 'Danzo, you bastard,'  _ he thought to himself as he grimaced.  _ 'Rot in hell, where you belong." _

Ino looked over at Sasuke, and noticed the pained expression on his face. She returned one of question.

"Quite the memories here, huh, Sasuke?" Oodaki's voice cracked. "This is where you killed Shimura Danzo."

"Yes, it is," he bit his lip. 

"The one who founded Root?" Ino asked.

"The same," Sasuke answered. 

"Do you, perhaps, regret killing him?" Oodaki pressed.

"No," Sasuke answered honestly. "He needed to die. If allowed to live, he'd have manipulated all of you as the false Rokudaime Hokage."

"This is true," Zantaro nodded. "Oodaki-jiisan, drop it."

"Shut up, bean sprout," Oodaki countered.

"Silence, both of you!" Shiro yelled, a hand on each of her swords.

Ino had just realized that whilst Zantaro and Oodaki both had only one sword, she was the only one with two. She also noted that Zantaro's sheath was thicker than the other two, while Oodaki's was slightly longer. Her eyes met Sasuke's who nodded before the two faced forward again. 

They were brought past the building that had been used for the Gokage Summit eighteen months prior, and to a more humble looking estate situated behind it and to the left. If one didn't know this building was there, it would have been hidden by the meeting hall and the inn just to the left of it. 

The three samurai stopped at the door, kneeling with a hand on each sword.

"Mifune-dono is waiting. Please step inside and follow the hall to the left," Shiro was the one to speak, only one of her eyes visible as she bowed. 

"Understood," Sasuke bowed gently. Ino followed suit, then both stepped inside through the sliding paper door. 

The two guardsmen inside the door gestured to their footwear, which they promptly removed, before stepping down the corridor. Ino's heart was pounding as Sasuke led the way. 

The hall opened to a cozy little room with a low sitting table in the middle. The shogun of the samurai knelt before it on the opposite side, a teapot, and three sakazuki saucers before him, one in each sitting spot, all filled with warm fluid. 

Sasuke knelt before one of them, and Ino followed his lead. 

"Uchiha Sasuke," Mifune breathed, a gruff voice parting his lips. "Last time I laid eyes on you, you caused quite the ruckus at the Gokage Conference. There are many people who still hold a grudge against you for your actions at the time, and others still who remain on the fence."

"I can't say I blame any of those people for their feelings," Sasuke admitted. "I was a horrible person at the time."

"You acknowledge it?" Mifune's lips curled in a smirk. "I respect that. Please, enjoy the tea. It's chamomile."

Ino peered down at the cup. Inside of her, she felt uneasy.  _ 'Could be poisoned,' _ she thought to herself.  _ 'Or drugged. Should we really drink this?' _ She could feel Mifune's eyes rest on her, almost as if he sensed her concern.

Without missing a beat, Sasuke took a sip of the tea.

"You're worrying too much, Ino-chan," Sasuke commented. "Mifune-dono is a samurai, and any true samurai values their honor above their own life. He'd dishonor himself to even think of poisoning a guest in his household."

"Hmph," Mifune snickered, sipping at his tea. "There are certainly a few ronin who'd sink that low, but Sasuke-san is correct. We don't associate with those ronin anymore."

"Oh, okay..." Ino blushed, uncomfortable with the idea that her thoughts were apparently so transparent to the two men in the room. She sipped at her tea.

"You addressed me as if you sit on that fence," Sasuke said aloud after a moment of silence. "Does that mean you don't trust me?" Sasuke asked.

"Ha, very sharp, aren't you," Mifune jeered. "No, not particularly. Yamanaka-chan's presence doesn't alleviate that distrust either. She could be a clone transformed, or have been put under a genjutsu. Koto Amatsukami, for instance."

"Only one man has had access to that jutsu," Sasuke argued.

"Three if you count Shimura Danzo and Uchiha Itachi," Mifune countered. "Granted, Danzo had one of Shisui's eyes, and what happened to it after your bout is a matter of your testimony, is it not?"

"That's a fair point," Sasuke agreed, biting his lip in light frustration.

"Granted, if not for you, we may have had trouble dealing with Danzo, which is why I'm giving you a chance."

"But," Ino protested, then hesitated. "You could have me mind transfer into someone after an external genjutsu release has been initiated."

"Ino, it's not that simple," Sasuke addressed her solution. "Koto Amatsukami isn't a basic genjutsu. Only certain people can resist it, and once it's used on you, you will act in accordance with the directive it's instilled with. For instance, Itachi planted a crow on Naruto that would trigger only in the presence of a Mangekyo Sharingan, but once triggered, would force the target to obey the command 'protect Konoha'. That is the only reason he was able to resist Kabuto's orders given via Edo Tensei."

"That's…" Ino's heart sank at the idea of such a genjutsu existing. 

"And thus, you understand my caution, Sasuke-san," Mifune explained, taking a sip of his own tea before setting it down. 

"So you intend to test me?" Sasuke inquired.

"I want to trust you, but I have reasons I need to be wary," Mifune started off with. "And considering we can't exactly present evidence in favor, or opposed, to the concerns, a normal trial is out of the question. However, we samurai have an alternative. It's call a 'trial by combat'. The dishonorable are quickly weeded out once a trial by combat is enacted."

"You presume to believe you could beat me in a fight?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Not a real fight," Mifune admitted. "It'd be a sparring match. Kenpo only. We'd even wear the chakra seals my ancestors once used to force shinobi into a fair fight."

"Sasuke…" Ino whispered in concern. 

"I accept, however," Sasuke placed a hand on his sword. "It would be unfair of me to use this sword in such a trial."

"You surrender your Kusanagi sword?" Mifune snickered. 

"Most swords are unable to compete," Sasuke acknowledged. "In a fight between Swordsmen of similar skill level, if one uses a Kusanagi blade, the victory is mostly likely going to be theirs. Such an advantage would be dishonest of me."

"That's fair," Mifune nodded. "With that in mind, I'll also use a sword that I'm not quite accustomed to."

"You don't really have to, but I respect the decision," Sasuke said.

"Sasuke! Are you really going to do this?" Ino squealed.

"Trust me, Ino," Sasuke asked of her. 

Ino nodded in response, but even she had trouble trusting Sasuke after everything that happened. 

"So, I shall bring you to the training room," Mifune suggested, standing up from his kneel. Sasuke followed suit, then Ino hesitantly stood up as well. 

Mifune motioned the two to follow them down the hall, then to the left at the door they had entered the building through. There was a set of double doors ahead of them, and as Mifune opened the door, a large room with exposed rafters and white panel walls was revealed. The walls to either side of the door, and opposite the door were lined with weapons racks, not all of which held katanas. 

Mifune turned to face Sasuke. "You may pick your weapon, first."

"Before I do, may I ask the particulars?" Sasuke tipped his head to the side. 

"The rules, hmm?" Mifune asked. "Because of your status as a Konoha shinobi, here's how we'll do this; we will fight only until one of us is either unable to continue, or yields. Unable to continue includes injury or a checkmate in combat.

"For one of us to kill the other is in direct violation, and the one who has killed the other surrenders their own life as well," Mifune paused.

"So you would stake your own life to ensure neither one of us kills the other," Sasuke questioned.

"Of course," Mifune answered. "It is only fair. Furthermore, if the chakra seal is removed from either of us, the match ends and whosoever was wearing the seal loses."

"Sounds fair so far," Sasuke responded coldly. "And what exactly does the seal disable?"

"Genjutsu, ninjutsu, fuinjutsu, kinjutsu, and doujutsu," Mifune answered.

"So everything except taijutsu and kenpo?" Sasuke confirmed. "Seems fair." Sasuke walked amongst the weapons racks, then picked a katana with a black sheath and handle, with red wrappings, a red sash around the sheath, and a bronze guard. "I'll use this one."

Mifune grinned. "A wise choice. 'Tis the gem amongst the blades here," Mifune stepped over to one very similar, and pulled it from its sheath. "I shall use its twin." He said, letting light reflect from the blade in front of his face. "Is that okay with you?"

"Use another," Sasuke said bluntly. 

"I thought you liked this blade?" Mifune questioned him with an accusing glare. 

"The one I'm holding, yes," Sasuke replied. "The one you hold is a cheap imitation. Whole this one was forged with metal folded a couple hundred times, that one was crudely poured into a cast. This one has been well maintained, whilst that one's blade is knocked and worn. Almost like a clumsy trainee used it in dozens of training matches. That blade is no more a twin to this one than you and I are."

"You have a sharp eye, even without your  _ Sharingan _ ," Mifune laced the word with a touch of venom. "This sword has had quite the journey. My apprentice carried it when he left the Land of Iron twelve years ago on a soul searching journey. In his time away, he took on two apprentices, brothers. This sword was used to train the younger of the two. The two were sent to my apprentices home village for a couple of years until one of them was killed during a major incident. The younger was welcomed home with a brand new pair of swords, one of which was a Kusanagi. My apprentice returned here, unable to continue training his pupil for reasons regarding an internal battle, but came back with a trio of new swords forged by his pupil's father."

"So my assessment was correct," Sasuke nodded. "The white and blue one that sits below it. I get a feeling saying that particular blade is more worthy to compete with this one."

"Also a good assessment," Mifune nodded, sheathing the rough blade he had picked. He reached into his robes, and grabbed out a charm necklace, and tossed it to Sasuke. He then grabbed the blade Sasuke had indicated, and tucked it into his sash. 

He glided across the floor, closer to the middle of the room. He took the other charm necklace out of his robes, and placed it around his neck, then took a stance with his left hand on the sheath, and his right gripping the handle tightly. 

' _ Iaito,'  _ Sasuke observed.  _ 'So his first strike will be either a horizontal slash, or a vertical cut.'  _

Sasuke took his own stance after fastening the charm around his own neck. His right hand gripped the unfamiliar blade, reverse-handing the sword, before shaking his head and gripping it normally. 

The two stood, analyzing one another, observing each tense muscle on the other, and tensing their own in accordance, only to loosen up all over again. 

Five minutes passed, before Mifune let out a sigh, and lunged forward, lifting the sheath upwards mid run, and as he neared Sasuke, he drew the sword from the sheath, bringing it over his head and down towards Sasuke, who sidestepped it, and attempted to counter. Mifune caught the movement, and brought the blade up to meet the one Sasuke held. The two swords connected against their sharp points. The two pulled away, Mifune holding his sword with both hands in front of him, his feet positioned away from each other. Sasuke, on the other hand, held his diagonally with his one hand. 

"You have good instincts," Mifune complimented him.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Sasuke said. 

Mifune lunged again, this time going for a horizontal slash. Sasuke parried and swung his sword, blunt edge first, at Mifune's neck. Mifune ducked below it before jabbing upwards, his blade missing Sasuke who juked around it, attempting another horizontal slash, this time at Mifune's chest. Mifune blocked it, the tip of the blade pointing to the ground. 

"You're holding back," Mifune accused Sasuke.

"Tch, as if you aren't?" Sasuke grunted before stepping back. Both fighters brandished their blades before Mifune lunged a third time. A flash of steel presumed, and the clangs of metal clashing echoed through the room. Three samurai entered the room, one of which wearing a kabuto with bull horns built into its design. He had to be over two hundred centimeters tall, meanwhile the other two stood around a hundred and eighty centimeters tall, with the standard armor of the land of iron. 

"Mifune's fighting!" The shorter of the latter two said.

"Don't see that too often," the other said. 

The tall one simply grunted, and nodded in agreement, but unlike the other two, his eyes never left the two combatants. 

"I'm surprised Enryu-dono hasn't come to watch," the smaller one said. 

"You shut your whore mouth, Zagan," the other average sized one said. "You know how Enryu can be."

"Oh, god… you're right, Jaaken," the first realized. "He'd butt in just for the thrill of it, unless his other half is the one that's awake right now."

"Other half?" Ino questioned aloud, as Sasuke slid under Mifune's stance, and attempted to jab at his spine with the handle of his sword, only for Mifune to weave around it.

"Oh, hello," the one named Zagan said. "Enryu is Mifune's apprentice, though to be honest, Mifune doesn't really hold a candle to the God of Bushido."

"Zagan!" Jaaken interrupted.

"Do you really think that Mifune could legitimately beat that  _ MONSTER  _ in a duel?" Zagan questioned him.

"I… no," Jaaken dropped his arms down as he admitted it. "Even his peaceful half is dangerous to attempt a fight with."

"This… Enryu…. He's that powerful?" Ino asked. 

"Yes," the biggest one spoke for the first time.

"He fought against the Sandaime Kazekage to a standstill in the past," Jaaken recited.

"And drove back Yagura of the Bloody Mist at one point," Zagan said.

"That sounds a bit… unbelievable…" Ino looked at the two, a deadpan expression on her face. 

"Next to Mifune, Gin-ki is the oldest in the village," Zagan said, nodding to the giant, before turning to him. "Didn't you say he was probably as strong as the Nidaime Hokage?"

"Stronger," Gin-ki said. "Between his Kenpo, and his Ninjutsu… a monster."

"Ninjutsu?" Ino asked. "But isn't he a Samurai?"

"Not always," Gin-ki answered. 

"I can't remember which one, but supposedly he's originally from one of the five great villages," Jaaken said calmly. 

"Konoha," Gin-ki said, to which Ino's eyes widened. 

"Konoha!?" Ino's jaw dropped.  _ 'Their most powerful shinobi is a defector from Konoha?! Why isn't this something more well known?'  _ Ino thought to herself. 

"He came here young," Gin-ki said.

"Whoah!" Zagan shouted, watching as Sasuke parried Mifune's thrust, spinning his blade around Mifune's before swinging his to the right, sending Mifune's blade flying, landing tip first into the wall. 

Mifune didn't hesitate for a second to pull the sheath itself out of his sash. He gripped it with both hands, bringing it over his head before swinging it downwards with a heavy blow. Sasuke spun around it, flicking his blade towards the sheath, batting it aside, before jabbing Mifune in the chest with the handle, connecting with his sternum. 

"Ugh!" Mifune grunted, staggering back. He smirked and looked at Sasuke, then intentionally let go of his sheath, letting it clack onto the ground. "Congratulations. You win."

"How do you figure?" Sasuke asked.

"For one, that attack, were I to let it follow through, would've bashed in your skull had you blocked it," Mifune explained. "It bashes the blocking blade hard enough to drive the guard into the enemies head. For two, you countered it easily, and could have stabbed me in the chest for a lethal blow, but you chose not to. Merciful. And three," Mifune paused, reaching into his robes, tugging at the chain on his neck, and when he pulled it out, the charm that had been on it was completely shattered, only a fragment of it still hanging by the chain."

"These were designed to fall just over the sternum?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes," Mifune answered. "After all, who's crazy enough to try to smash their own heart?"

"That's a fair point," Sasuke said, smirking.

As he finished speaking, a commotion could be heard from the hall. Shiro was yelling. 

"Please, Enryu-dono, leave it be!" She shouted. 

The man stormed in. He stood at one hundred eighty five centimeters tall. His eyes were a sea green, and his hair was black. A scar cut across his right cheek, and what looked like reddish facial hair. He carried a fierce expression. 

He was dressing in black robes, with red and white lines going every which way. He carried a large one and a half handed nodachi on his back, and a pair consisting of a tachi and a wakizashi on his left hip. 

"All right, who decided there's be a fight, and didn't invite me," the man shouted. "I'm bored and want to…" The man noticed the fragmented charm at Mifune's neck. "Let me fight him, sensei. I sense this is going to be fun." He smirked.

"Enryu, calm yourself," Mifune demanded. "This is a guest, and currently an honored one."

"Oh, really? Doesn't mean we can't spare at least," Enryu responded. "I'll even use a bokken."

"Enryu, Shizukesa (Serenity)," Mifune said calmly. Enryu's eyes went blank for a second before he closed them, and when he opened them again, his expression was significantly softer. 

"My apologies, Mifune-dono," Enryu said, in a softer tone, bowing before him. "Allow me to show my shame by committing harakiri." He starts to draw his sword.

"That will not be necessary, Enryu," Mifune smiled, gliding over to him and placing a hand on the one drawing the blade. "If you would like to express your regret, please, join us for tea."

"That sounds adequate," Enryu smirked and bowed. 

Mifune motioned to Sasuke then to Ino, who bowed to her three acquaintances, before following behind Sasuke who was doing the same for Mifune. The four made their way down the hall, and to the same room as before, quietly. When they reached the cozy little room, he turned to Ino.

"Would you please close the door behind you?" Mifune asked her. 

"Oh, sure," Ino, a little panicky, answered the stern looking man, before turning around and sliding the bamboo door shut with an eerie creek. When she turned around the others were starting to kneel down, Enryu off to the right side of the table, and Sasuke and Mifune in their former positions. Ino followed suit, and knelt down beside Sasuke.

"So, Sasuke," Mifune started to speak, before grabbing a tea kettle that had been hidden beneath the low sitting table. He produced yet another sakazuki saucer, and poured tea in the four sitting on the table, before gently sliding the saucers to each person sitting at it. 

"What business have you here in the Land of Iron?" Mifune finally asked the question, now taking a sip of his tea. 

"I'm following a lead," Sasuke answered. "Something about some kind of beast roaming the woods, and a number of travellers either turning up mangled, or simply going missing altogether."

"I've heard this one," Mifune smirked. "Something about the hearts being missing from the ones that turned up also crossed my ears, and some of the bodies were so mangled, and oddly enough stitched together at points."

"Witnesses have described the creature or creatures as having a black body, almost inky in appearance, and a white face that looked almost like ivory," Sasuke confirmed. 

Every bit of this testimony made Ino extremely uncomfortable with a sense of dreadful deja vu. The details were all too familiar for her. She remembered her first run in with the Akatsuki, and the one who helped Hidan kill Asuma came to mind, though his name escaped her.

"You are very well informed," Mifune nodded. "A detail that may not have reached your ears is the fact that the more mangled bodies still had their original heart, but also had four holes in their back. Cause of death was found to be mass muscular atrophy."

"Their muscle tissue died?" Ino asked. 

"Their bodies rejected something…?" Sasuke pondered. 

"I believe Yamanaka-chan here is familiar with the one we believe to be the culprit," Mifune suggested, sipping his tea.

"It rings a bell, but his name escapes me," Ino said. "He scares me, to be honest."

"The Heartless Ninja should scare you," Mifune answered.

"So, this is a human? Hmm," Sasuke responded, thinking to himself.

" _ Was _ a human," Mifune corrected him. " _ Kakuzu _ was one of the Akatsuki ninja who Yakushi Kabuto had revived through the use of Edo Tensei, however, the body he was using at the time was sealed, and we had thought that he had expended all of his hearts as well. I think that assumption was incorrect, as his  _ real _ body still exists out there somewhere, and there's no doubt that these  _ beasts _ are hearts that he stole during the war."

"He steals hearts?" Sasuke asked.

"He can replace the one in his chest with one of up to four, and he can replenish those by ripping out the still beating heart of anyone he can put hands on," Enryu answered calmly. "I've seen it in person. He's one of the 'Immortal Ninja' in this world, the others being the followers of Jashin, and Orochimaru."

"So, if his real body is elsewhere, how is he taking more hearts?" Ino asked.

"His hearts are possessing the travellers, then as one of his hearts becomes useless he replaces it," Sasuke said, thinking aloud. "The total body atrophy is the body's rejection to the possession, at which point the hearts, to survive, find a new body, and ditch the current."

"I believe that is the case," Mifune answered.

"Tell me more about Kakuzu," Sasuke said to Mifune.

"Enryu," Mifune directed the question to his apprentice.

"He values money and his own survival above all else," Enryu responded. "He once fought Hashirama, however, was defeated by the Shodaime Hokage, but managed to survive."

"So money and survival are a motivator, and as he has more hearts available to him, it only secures his survival?" Sasuke asked. "I wonder…."

"Sasuke-san, do you have an idea of some kind?" Mifune asked. 

"Yes, but first I must ask… where do you think the body would be located?" Sasuke replied.

"It should be in Konoha," Ino said hesitantly. "I was… kinda involved in bringing Kakuzu down…" 

"How so?" Mifune asked.

Enryu's left eyebrow raised at her claim.

"Shikamaru, Chouji, and I approached Hidan and Kakuzu after Hidan killed Asuma-sensei," Ino explained. "Kakashi was with us too for the duration of the mission. Kakuzu and Hidan had us pinned down for the most part, until Shikamaru managed to catch Hidan with his Kage Mane, (Shadow Possession) and lured him into a trap he had prepped."

"Naruto showed up a little later," Ino explained. "Kakashi took the first heart with a surprise attack. Hidan technically took the second, but because he was tricked by Shikamaru. Naruto killed three and four in one strike, and Kakashi finished him."

"So the body's in Konoha?" Sasuke asked.

"It could be, unless Tsunade moved it," Ino answered honestly. 

"Well, looks like I have a trip to make. I can be back in two days," Sasuke sighed.

"Konoha is a journey of at least nine days from here," Mifune countered.

"If travelling by carriage. Two weeks by foot," Sasuke retaliated. "An instant, using Space-Time Ninjutsu."

"I didn't realize you  _ could _ use that," Mifune said, a little surprised, especially since Sasuke and Ino traveled on foot into the Land of Iron.

"It eats up a chunk of chakra," Sasuke explained. "So I try not to use it unless it is absolutely necessary. However, I can use it to travel to Konoha now, take a day there making preparations, then travel to Orochimaru's hideout, and make further preparations. Upon my return, we should hunt down the beast."

"What exactly are you planning?" Mifune asked.

"If I were him," Enryu cut in. "I'd lure out the hearts, damage or kill one to lure out the main body, then trap that body." 

"That's phase one," Sasuke responded. "Phase two is to return the original body, and negotiate with it to bring Kakuzu onto our side. This is especially necessary considering recent events."

Ino's eyes widened. "You mean the thing with…."

"Yes, that," Sasuke interrupted. "By the way, have either of you heard of the Tentaiyou clan, or of Saishu Okoku?"

"Can't say I have," Enryu answered, closing his eyes.

"The Tentaiyou are a clan that used to roam the Shinobi Lands," Mifune sneered. "Animals, they were, but the source of their power receded at some point, and they left the Lands behind. At least that's what myth has to say about it. As for Saishu Okoku, that's something I have no knowledge of whatsoever."

"You know of the Tentaiyou?" Enryu looked at his master, a faint expression of surprise crossing his face.

"Vaguely," Mifune answered. 

"Still, any information is useful," Sasuke nodded. 

"Why do you ask?" Mifune asked him.

"Saishu Okoku and the Tentaiyou have issued a declaration of war on the Shinobi Lands," Sasuke answered. "Total genocide of the populace."

"Is that so?" Mifune asked, this time surprised. "While you are away, I'll be making a formal statement. If it's not too much trouble, may I ask you to take Enryu with you?"

"That seems excessive," Sasuke said.

"I think it's important he visit his home at least once before it's gone," Mifune answered. "And he's, perhaps, the only person in this village who doesn't need to hone his swordsmanship in anticipation of this war… what's the timeframe?" 

"They're arrival is three months and three weeks away at this point," Sasuke's eyes closed. 

"Not a whole lot of time, but we'll have to make it count," Mifune said. "I'll prepare the hunt while you are gone, but may I make a suggestion?"

"You may," Sasuke answered looking the aged man in the eyes. 

"Firstly, remove the charm still sitting on your chest," Mifune smirked. "Then, when you leave, take off with your bird, and don't land until you enter the land of Earth. Then use your Space-Time Ninjutsu to bring Enryu and yourself to Konoha. When you return, come straight here with your Space-Time Ninjutsu."

Sasuke smiled, "I like that idea. I see what you're doing, and it's probably the best approach."

"That means a lot coming from you," Mifune nodded in satisfaction. "Then you'll be on your way?" Mifune asked. 

"Indeed," Sasuke nodded, standing up. Enryu stood with a grunt.

"Please, behave for him, Enryu," Mifune sighed. 

"Of course," Enryu bowed. Enryu and Sasuke left the room, and shortly after the sound of giant wings flapping could be heard outside. Then it was gone. 

"Your father was a good man," Mifune sipped at his tea while addressing Ino. "I expect great things from you just the same."

"T-thank you!" Ino said stiffly. 

"On that note, I have an announcement to make to my people, and I would like for you to be there to corroborate the news," Mifune spoke his request in a stern fashion.

"O-of course," Ino stammered, nodding at him.

"Not your usual, confident self, huh?" Mifune asked.

"Not really," Ino said. "This whole situation has me really nervous."

"Me too," Mifune said with a straight face as he sips his tea. "Very much so."

"You don't show it," Ino glared at him, doubting his words. He took a sip.of his tea.

"A samurai learns to suppress what he is feeling so that his judgment is clearer than the moon reflected on the midnight sea," Mifune answered. "After that, all that's left is simply to act, speaking of which, Shiro!"

The female samurai from before stepped into the room, no longer in her armor. Dark skin and darker hair ornamented her pale gray and sky blue kimono. Her hair was tucked back into a topknot. Her swords still sat on her left hip. 

"Yes, milord," she knelt down.

"Gather everyone," he ordered. "An announcement is to be made."

"Yessir!" She nodded before standing and, in the same movement, sprinting away.

"So, what now?" Ino asked.

"Follow me," Mifune said, standing, then started to glide past her. She turned and followed him down the hall, past the door, down the opposite hall, and to the right. The door he opened led to a staircase going downwards, and a tunnel beneath. He ushered her down after himself, and they followed the narrow tunnel straight and to the right, before coming up another set of steps. 

They were now in the conference building that the Gokage Summit had been held in. Ino had never been inside this building, so the interior, like the rest of the small village, was very foreign to her. Still, she shadowed Mifune by three feet. 

"I would like to give you a couple things as a gift," Mifune explained, stepping into a small space behind his seat at the table. He tapped what looked like a usual board until he pushed it in. The wall swung open. Mifune stepped through it and motioned to Ino, before reaching for something in the space that had opened up. 

What he handed to Ino was familiar, yet foreign. It was a katana with a white and blue sheath, or maybe it was white and purple. Ino couldn't really be sure which color as it was a dark color that somehow coexisted as both simultaneously.

"This sword is the true twin to the one Sasuke chose to fight me," Mifune said, with an heir of reverence. "It's colors may be different, but it is a marvel nevertheless. The two swords were referred to as 'accidental Kusanagi Yaiba' by the mentor of the man who forged them. The man who forged them goes exclusively by the name 'Masamune', and has long since retired."

"Are you sure?" Ino asked. "I have no training in swordsmanship."

"But you use a kunai, and your sensei had his fist swords," Mifune argued. "It would be my honor to give you a crash course after my speech, in the time we'll have before Sasuke's return."

"Okay," Ino nodded. "One more thing that Sakura doesn't have going for her!" Ino said with a fiery determination, her hand reaching for the sword and gripping the handle. Its weight surprised her. It was as light as two kunai, despite being thrice as long. 

"By the way, what is your Chakra Nature?" Mifune asked. 

"I… don't actually know," Ino admitted. 

"Fortunately, I happen to be in possession of some chakra paper," Mifune nodded. "First I have a speech to give, and I would like you to wear that sword while the speech is given. Then I'll explain the special features of that sword for you. Anyways, please, follow."

Mifune led her out the front door. The wind was starting to whip around heavier than before. Snow moved in, and overtook the sky. The Land of Iron was about to be woken up. A single speech, amplified by the ability to make those words reach everyone within the Land of Iron, would motivate an entire people to start pushing their limits for their own survival. The windmill was turning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [T/L: I'm AM SOOOOOO SORRY that this took soooo long. This one was like climbing a cliffside to write. I couldn't figure out the ending here. Either way, I'm soooooo sorry. Anyways, next is a Naruto and Sai chapter.]


End file.
